Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
July 28 2005
Armenian vice-speaker claims Turkey will open border prior to EU
membership
Baku, July 27, AssA-Irada
Turkey will have to open its border with Armenia sooner or later.
This country will benefit from the measure more than Armenia,
Armenian parliament vice-speaker Vaan Ovanesian has said. He said in
a recent meeting with representatives of youth organizations that
Turkey will definitely open the border as it `has great aspirations
to European Union membership’. Armenia, in turn, should achieve
raising the border issue prior to Turkey’s accession, he said.
`Armenia has nothing to concede in exchange for unblocking the
frontier. We cannot accept Turkey’s demands, in particular, those on
withdrawing our armed forces from Upper Garabagh and relinquishing
efforts at international recognition of the genocide of Armenians.’*