Month: October 2006

L’HOMMAGE DE CHIRAC AUX VICTIMES DU GENOCIDE

La Nouvelle Republique du Centre Ouest
02 octobre 2006 lundi
Edition Informations Generales

Le president a effectue, samedi et dimanche, une visite d’Etat
empreinte d’emotion en Armenie, où la question des massacres
d’Armeniens entre 1915-1917 dans l’Empire ottoman, reconnus par la
France comme un " genocide ", a ete omnipresente.

" C’est avec une emotion profonde que je decouvre la terre d’Armenie
",a lance Jacques Chirac samedi, saluant" l’histoire heroïque et
tourmentee de ce peuple d’Armenie issu de la plus haute antiquite ".

Il a rendu hommage a" tous les survivants de cette tragedie ", evoquant
les tueries de 1915-1917. Au cours de cette periode, les massacres
et deportations d’Armeniens dans l’Empire ottoman ont fait plus de
1,5 million de morts, selon les Armeniens, entre 250.000 et 500.000
selon les Turcs qui refutent la notion de genocide. Jacques Chirac a
debute la première journee de sa visite d’Etat par un hommage a ces
victimes au pied du Tsitsernakaberd, le " Monument au genocide des
Armeniens ",en presence du couple presidentiel armenien.

Parmi ses invites de la diaspora armenienne, le numero un mondial du
caviar Armen Petrossian confiait etre" submerge par l’emotion ",le
journaliste Daniel Bilalian eclatait en sanglot et le footballeur
Youri Djorkaeff observait, fige, la minute de silence. La France est
devenue en 2001 le premier grand pays europeen a reconnaître comme"
genocide "ces evenements par une loi, alors qu’un grand nombre de
pays ne retiennent pas cette qualification.

La Turquie montree du doigt

En conference de presse, Jacques Chirac a enfonce le clou en jugeant
que la Turquie devait proceder a une reconnaissance similaire avant
de pouvoir adherer a l’Union europeenne." Tout pays se grandit en
reconnaissant ses drames et ses erreurs ", a-t-il juge. En soiree,
il a assiste a un concert geant de Charles Aznavour, 82 ans, veritable
monstre sacre dans ce pays, qui a lance l’annee de l’Armenie en France,
" Armenie mon amie "..

GRAPHIQUE: Avant le concert d’Aznavour, les presidents armenien
(Kotcharian) et francais ont rencontre l’artiste d’origine armenienne.

–Boundary_(ID_jnY9iI3ui3pzgsUCAXT0iw )–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CHIRAC POUR LA RECONNAISSANCE DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN
par Damien Roustel

L’Humanite, France
2 octobre 2006

Armenie . À Erevan, le president francais a presente cette demarche
comme la condition de l’integration europeenne de la Turquie.

La visite d’Etat de Jacques Chirac en Armenie samedi et dimanche, la
première d’un president francais dans ce pays independant depuis 1991,
fera date pour les Armeniens. Le chef d’Etat francais a clairement
pris parti pour ses hôtes en conditionnant l’entree de la Turquie dans
l’Union europeenne a la reconnaissance du genocide armenien de 1915.

À la question "Faut-il que la Turquie reconnaisse le genocide armenien
pour entrer dans l’Union ? ", posee par un journaliste lors d’une
conference de presse, Jacques Chirac a repondu : " Honnetement, je
le crois ". "Tout pays se grandit en reconnaissant ses drames et ses
erreurs ", a-t-il ajoute, prenant l’exemple de l’Allemagne et de la
Shoah. " Quand de surcroît il s’agit de s’integrer dans un ensemble qui
revendique l’appartenance a une meme societe et la croyance en de memes
valeurs, je pense qu’effectivement la Turquie serait bien inspiree,
au regard de son histoire, de sa tradition profonde, de sa culture
qui est aussi une culture humaniste, d’en tirer les consequences ",
a-t-il poursuivi.

C’est la première fois que la France, le seul pays au monde a avoir
vote une loi reconnaissant le genocide armenien, etablit un lien
aussi direct entre le genocide armenien et la candidature turque.

L’Union europeenne n’a jamais voulu en faire une condition prealable.

Le gouvernement turc refuse le terme de " genocide " et conteste le
nombre des victimes massacres par les Ottomans entre 1915 et 1917.

Selon les Armeniens, près d’un million et demi des leurs aurait
ete tue.

Par ailleurs, Jacques Chirac a juge que l’amendement socialiste visant
a sanctionner la negation du genocide armenien n’etait pas utile dans
la mesure où la loi condamne deja la discrimination et les appels a
la haine ou a la violence raciale. Cet amendement doit etre examine
par l’Assemblee nationale le 12 octobre. Il a egalement evoque avec
son homologue armenien l’epineuse question du Haut-Karabakh, cette
enclave armenienne situee sur le territoire de l’Azerbaïdjan. Les deux
presidents ont renouvele leur confiance au groupe de Minsk (France,
Etats-Unis, Russie) pour trouver une solution.

–Boundary_(ID_1sM2M1DaFfGRlpUSbFPL5Q)- –

CHIRAC AU NOM DE LA MEMOIRE
Dominique Garraud

Charente Libre
2 octobre 2006

L’enjeu principal n’est pas de contraindre la Turquie a faire
repentance, mais bien de l’amener a scruter sans complaisance les
pages noires de son Histoire

Pour la première visite officielle d’un President francais dans la
jeune republique d’Armenie, un geste fort de Jacques Chirac etait
attendu. Il est venu lors d’une conference de presse, lorsque
la question lui fut posee de savoir si pour entrer dans l’Union
europeenne, la Turquie devait d’abord reconnaître le genocide
armenien. Honnetement, je le crois, a repondu le chef de l’Etat,
soulignant qu’a l’instar de l’Allemagne qui a reconnu la Shoah, une
nation se grandit de reconnaître les erreurs qu’elle a pu commettre.

Outre que la comparaison avec la Shoah risque d’etre fort mal prise
a Ankara où les autorites nient toujours la realite du genocide de
1915 et son bilan de 1,5 million de morts, Jacques Chirac ne pouvait
guère aller plus loin que la delivrance d’un conseil. La Commission
europeenne et la semaine dernière le Parlement europeen ont en effet
formellement exclu que la reconnaissance par Ankara du genocide
armenien constitue un prealable a l’adhesion de la Turquie. Sans
incidence directe sur le dossier turc vis-a-vis de Bruxelles, le coup
d’eclat de Jacques Chirac a Erevan a une double portee, de politique
interieure a court terme, a long terme sur le plan des valeurs
partagees de l’Europe politique. Le soutien sans reserve apporte
au respect de la memoire armenienne gomme une image chiraquienne
turcophile entretenue par son approbation d’une adhesion a terme
de la Turquie. Il lui permet aussi de justifier son opposition a un
amendement socialiste prochainement examine a l’Assemblee preconisant
l’ajout de peines penales pour negationnisme dans la loi francaise
de 2001 qui reconnaît formellement l’existence du genocide armenien.

Dans la lignee de sa reconnaissance de la responsabilite de l’Etat
francais de Vichy dans la deportation des juifs lors de son discours
de 1995 au Vel d’Hiv, Jacques Chirac montre un souci salutaire d’un
devoir de memoire et d’histoire qui ecarte de toute exploitation
politicienne des tragedies comme le genocide armenien.

Plus qu’une mise en garde a la Turquie, la declaration d’Erevan est
un encouragement a destination des autorites d’Ankara, pour qu’elles
rompent avec des decennies de negation en poursuivant resolument
le chemin qui les a recemment conduites a envisager la mise sur
pied d’une commission mixte turco-armenienne d’historiens sur les
massacres de 1915. L’enjeu principal n’est pas de contraindre la
Turquie a faire repentance, mais bien de l’amener a scruter sans
complaisance les pages noires de son Histoire condamnables a l’aune
des valeurs europeennes qu’elle pretend vouloir partager. Ces valeurs
doivent conduire la Turquie a admettre qu’etre Europeen signifie aussi
reconnaître pleinement son voisin armenien et les douleurs d’un passe
qui ne peut etre passe sous silence.

–Boundary_(ID_qdUwU3Ip6eHxxHINwcbJZg)–

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN: LE CONSEIL DE L’EUROPE CRITIQUE LA POSITION DE J. CHIRAC

Agence France Presse
2 octobre 2006 lundi 11:18 AM GMT

Le president de l’Assemblee parlementaire du Conseil de l’Europe
(APCE), Rene van der Linden, a critique lundi le president francais
Jacques Chirac qui a juge samedi a Erevan que la Turquie devait
reconnaître le genocide armenien avant d’adherer a l’Union europeenne.

"On ne peut changer les règles du jeu au milieu du jeu" a-t-il declare
a la presse, en rappelant les conditions d’adhesion fixees a Ankara
par l’Union europeenne.

Interroge a propos de Jacques Chirac qui a enjoint la Turquie de
faire l’examen de son passe avant d’adherer a l’Union europeenne,
il a declare: "ce n’est pas la première fois qu’il change assez
subitement d’avis".

Un peu auparavant, il avait evoque les règles du jeu et la confiance
qui doit exister en Ankara et Bruxelles en soulignant que "s’il y
a des questions graves, on les aborde mais on ne les ajoute pas aux
conditions" fixees.

"S’il y a perte de confiance, on cree la mefiance et c’est toute la
negociation qui en pâtit", a-t-il ajoute.

Le president de l’APCE a egalement estime qu’il fallait "encourager
toutes les forces en Turquie qui veulent engager des reformes".

Interroge samedi a Erevan sur le fait savoir si la Turquie devait,
pour entrer dans l’UE, reconnaître un caractère de genocide aux
massacres d’Armeniens perpetres entre 1915 et 1917 dans l’Empire
ottoman, Jacques Chirac avait repondu : "honnetement, je le crois".

La France s’etait jusqu’alors refusee a etablir un lien direct entre la
question du genocide armenien et celle de l’entree de la Turquie dans
l’Union europeenne, les Europeens n’ayant pas fait de la reconnaissance
du genocide armenien de 1915 une condition de l’adhesion de ce pays
a l’UE.

–Boundary_(ID_OtNGsfUyioCgYdXWnDdyVw)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

VISIT OF DELEGATION HEADED BY FRENCH PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC TO ARMENIA FINISHES

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 2 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The representative delegation headed
by President of the Republic of France Jacques Chirac, having been
on a state visit in Armenia from September 29, left Yerevan in the
midday on October 1. RA President Robert Kocharian with his wife Bella
Kocharian saw off the President of France, his wife Bernadette Chirac
from the "Zvartnots" airport of the capital. RA NA Deputy Speaker Vahan
Hovhannisian, Minister of Territorial Administration Hovik Abrahamian,
Minister of Foreign Affairs Vartan Oskanian, other officials
participated in the ceremony of seeing off the French delegation.

At the beginning of the seeing off ceremony, Mr. and Mrs. Kocharians
and Mr. and Mrs. Chiracs addreesed, with shaking hands, wishes of
succeess to members of the French and Armenian official delegations,
then they recieved the rank of the RA Armed Forces guard of honour.

The two countries’ heads and their wives bade farewell to one another
with huggings at the stairs of the French President’s plane.

J.Chirac, before entering the plane, bent and rose his hand, as a
token of farewell with friends, then crossed both hands keeping high,
as a token of the French and Armenian peoples’ friendship.

The first place in Yerevan which the French President visited on
early September 30, within the framework of his state visit, was the
Tsitsernakabert memorial complex to Armenian Genocide victims.

"Remember." Jacqeus Chirac wrote down only this one call in the
memory register of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, after
putting flowers to the memorial to Genocide victims and getting
acquainted with materials of the museum-institute. He also planted a
tree of memory, a silver glance fir tree, in the alley of memory of
the Armenian Genocide memorial complex.

Then the solemn opening ceremony of the French square in Yerevan took
place with participation of the Presidents of Armenia and France,
during what J.Chirac and R.Kocharian made long speeches symbolizing
the Armenian-French centuries-old friendship. After that they directed
to the presidential residence, where, after a private conversation
taken place here, they held a joint press conference.

Responding journalists’ question, the two countries’ Presidents touched
upon the present state of the Karabakh conflict settlement, bilateral
cooperation in the economic, educational, cultural, interparliamentary
and interregional spheres, state of the regions neighboring to Armenia,
the Armenia-European Union, Armenia-Turkey, Turkey-European Union
relations, the issue of Turkey’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Particularly, the two countries’ delegations continued discussions
of issues relating to the bilateral economic cooperation during the
working banquet organized by RA President Robert Kocharian.

R.Kocharian and J.Chirac were present at the "Charles Aznavour and His
Friends" open-air concert in the Republican square on late September
30. The national year of Armenia in France entitled "Armenia, My
Friend" started with these events.

On October 1, the last day of the French President’s visit, His
Holiness Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians
received him. J.Chirac got acquainted with the exhibition of the
"Treasures of Etchmiadzin" museum of the Mother See as well.

To recap, Minister of Foreign Affairs Philippe Douste-Blazy, Minister
for Transport, Infrastructures, Tourism and the Sea Dominique Perben,
Minister of Civil Service Christian Jacob, Minister of Culture
and Communication Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres were in the official
delegation staff headed by the President of France. Businessmen,
representatives of science, education, culture and sport sphere,
members of the French Armenian community, more than 45 journalists
also accompanied J.Chirac.

To recap, the President of France is the second from the UN Security
Council members and Presidents of the G8 countries who visited
Armenia. J.Chirac received R.Kocharian’s invitation to visit France
still during the visit paid to France in 2001. To recap, Armenia was
the second CIS member country after Russia where the President of
France visited.

ENP ACTION PLAN REPRESENTS SIGNIFICANT STEP IN RELATIONS BETWEEN EU AND ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 2 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. During the visit of the Foreign
Ministers’ troika of the European Union to Armenia, an agreement in
principle has been reached on a final ENP Action Plan text. This is
said in the October 2 joint statement of the Foreign Ministers’ Troika
of the EU and Armenia. According to the statement, the necessary
steps can now be taken in order to prepare the formal adoption of
the Action Plan at the next EU-Armenia Cooperation Council, to be
held on the 14th of November in Brussels.

It is noted in the statement that the European Neighbourhood Policy
Action Plan is a significant step towards an increasingly close
relationship between the EU and Armenia, going beyond co-operation, to
involve a significant measure of economic integration and deepening of
political co-operation. "The European Union and Armenia are determined
to make use of this occasion to enhance their relations and to promote
prosperity, stability, and security," the statement reads.

STATEMENT ON ARMENIAN ACTION PLAN WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF ENP SIGNED

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 2 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian Action Plan to be
implemented within the framework of the European Union New Neighborhod
Policy (ENP) gives Armenia a possibility to be involved in a more
intensive political dialogue with EU, including around issues of
security, and to take part in integration processes in the economic
sphere. RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian declared this at the
October 2 ceremony of signing a statement on Armenian Action Plan
within the framework of ENP.

He reported that the main document on RA Action Plan will be signed
in Brussels, at the annual meeting of EU-Armenia Cooperation Council.

The Minister stressed that the main document to be signed within the
framework of ENP also proposes developing regional cooperation, as well
as according to it, Armenia assumes responsibility to achieve peaceful
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. In Oskanian’s words,
the term of document’s fulfilment is 5 years. "This is a process that
will last 5 years and it is a precise guide for us what to do in the
next 5 years for our public to become more democratic and our state
more stable," RA Foreign Minister declared.

"We are where we are today thanks to the reforms we have started since
1991 and today we are gathering its fruits. But we still have a long
way to pass," V.Oskanian declared.

The Foreign Minister of EU presiding country, Finland, Erkii Tuomioja
also took part in the signing of the statement on the Armenian Action
Plan within the framework of ENP. The latter expressed the hope that
this program will be fully implemented. "If this program is implemented
successfully, we will be very open for the South Caucasian countries
to deepen their relations with EU for even more," the Finnish Foreign
Minister mentioned.

E.Tuomioja attached a special importance to the forthcoming
parliamentary elections in Armenia mentioning that the international
community will attentively follow them. E.Tuomioja expressed the hope
that the elections will be democratic.

FRANCE WAS TO BE ONE OF FIRST COUNTRIES TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BY LAW, JACQUES CHIRAC SAID

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 2 2006

ETCHMIADZIN, OCTOBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. France tries to provide support
to the Nagorno Karabakh settlement within the framework of the Minsk
Group. French President Jacques Chirac declared this at the October
1 meeting with Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II in the Mother
See of Holy Etchmiadzin. "One should wish peace and believe in it,"
he mentioned.

Attaching importance to role of France and its President in the process
of peaceful settlement, his Holiness the Patriarch, in his turn,
said that he will continue to make efforts for all such problems and,
in particular, the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, to be led to peaceful
settlement with the support and mercy of God.

Greeting the French President in the spiritual center Holy Etchmiadzin,
His Holiness expressed happiness that the 15th anniversary of
Armenia’s independence was marked by the visit of the friendly
country’s President, as well as events of Year of Armenia in France.

"This is a nice evidence of age-old friendship between our peoples.

And in this sacred place we want, for the sake of our people and
church, to express gratitude to you and in your person to the French
humane people for its assistance and support shown towards our
nation and homeland. We remember with special gratitude that France
received representatives of our people after the terrible tragedy of
the Genocide and today thanks to the considerate and kind attitude of
the French authorities they have organized their spiritual-national
life," the Catholicos of All Armenians said. He expressed gratitude
to the French authorities for recognition and condemnation of the
Armenian Genocide, which, according to the Patriarch, was restoration
of justice not only towards the Armenian people, but also towards
the whole mankind.

In his turn, speaking about the Genocide, J.Chirac said: "It was
natural that France was to be one of the first countries to recognize
the Armenian Genocide by law. …I hope that if condemned, such crimes
will not recur in the future."

The French President spoke with satisfaction about economic and
political partnership and relations between the two states mentioning
that he is glad for Armenia’s economic and social development.

J.Chirac expressed confidence that France should have participation
in this issue.

According to the report submitted to Noyan Tapan from the Information
Services of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, at the end of the
meeting the French President made notes in the Patriarchate memory
book, then they visited the Cathedral’s museum.

VARTAN OSKANIAN: "THE ARMENIAN PEOPLE SHOW HONOUR TO JACQUES CHIRAC"

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 2 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. French President Jacques Chirac’s
three-day state visit to Yerevan (September 29-October 1) passed
at a high level. RA Minister of Foreign Affairs Vartan Oskanian
stated about it after the ceremony of seeing off the delegation
headed by J.Chirac. Quating the French delegation members’ words,
he also mentioned that "the President of France is really impressed,
first of all, by our people’s warmness."

In V.Oskanian’s words, during the days of the visit to Yerevan,
J.Chirac said on some occassions that he simply did not expect such
a warm reception. "So our people showed an honour and expressed its
gratitude to Jacques Chirac," the Foreign Minister mentioned.

According to his information, at RA President Robert Kocharian’s
and French President’s September 30 meeting the interlocuters
mainly stopped on the Karabakh conflict and regional problems. In
V.Oskanian’s words, "President Chirac was really very interested in
President Kocharian’s viewpoint" concerning the nuclear program of
Iran and the whole progress connected with it, events taking place
in the field of the Georgian-Russian relations.

Responding the Noyan Tapan correspondent’s question, if there are
responses by Turkey concerning viewpoints expressed at the September
30 joint press conference of the Armenian and French Presidents,
V.Oskanian mentioned that at the same night he watched news on
international Euronews, Al Jazeera, BBC TVs where J.Chirac’s visit,
especially the statements at the press conference connected with
Turkey, was touched upon a rather volumniously. "I think that the visit
was well covered internationally as well," the Foreign Minister stated.

The RA Foreign Minister found it difficult to answer the question if
visits of presidents of other countries of the (former) Great7 to be
paid to Armenia are expected, after the visit which the President
of France paid to Armenia first. "One thing is obvious that day
by day this region gets bigger importance. Armenia’s regional and
international weight and prestige also grow with Armenia’s political
stability and economic growth. I think that President Chirac’s visit
was not only a result of our two peoples’ historic ties, the French
Armenian community’s factors, but also of the fact that for France,
for other great states, Armenia is really a factor of stability in
this region, a reliable partner," V.Oskanian mentioned, expressing
an opinion that heads "of other similar countries" will aslo visit
Armenia.

As he reminded, the Presidents of Armenia and France emphasized in
Yerevan that the two countries’ relations develop dinamically. "The
more our relations with the European Union deepen, the more important
the role of France will become for us, as France has been in the
leading positions of a country encouraging in the processes of
Armenia’s democratization, making corresonding all its conditions
to the European ones for a quickest integration into the European
structures," V.Oskanian mentioned. He expressed an opinion, that
this direction of the Armenian-French relations "will be dominating,
and we’ll continue our cooperation with France."

The RA Foreign Minister added that the sides touched upon the bilateral
economic cooperations mainly after the working dinner party. J.Chirac
approved proposals made by the Armenian side relating to future
introduction of French business, insurance companies, banks, in
Armenia. "I think there will be positive movements on this occasion,"
V.Oskanian said, adding that "we’ll see rather seriouss activeness
in the Armenian-French relations in the nearest future."

OSKANIAN: THE ACTIONS PLAN WILL BRING ARMENIA’S SOCIAL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC SYSTEMS MORE IN LINE WITH EUROPE’S

Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 2 2006

RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian issued a statement on the
occasion of signing of the joint statements on the conclusion of
consultations on the Action Plan in the framework of the European
Neighborhood Policy.

"We welcome the Finnish Presidency here, in the person of my friend,
Erkii Tuomioja, the Finnish FM, and the representative of the European
Commission, Torben Holze, representing Benita Ferrero Waldner who
called to say she could not be here, because of local political
commitments in Austria. Thanks also to Ambassador Terhi Hakala
whose tireless efforts have brought us to this day, and also want to
recognize Ambassador Peter Semneby, the EU Special Representative to
the South Caucasus. Although this document will be signed in November,
in Brussels, we appreciate the delegation’s coming here to Armenia,
so that our public can share in this historic occasion.

I would also like to thank the NGOs and civil society for their
engagement and involvement in enhancing the content and make it more
representative of the wishes of our society.

Once the document is signed, we’ll be able to publicly present the
entire document. Let me just tell you that it says clearly, at the
outset, that through this Action Plan, Armenia is invited to enter into
intensified political, security, economic and cultural relations with
the EU, enhanced regional and cross border co-operation and shared
responsibility in conflict prevention and conflict resolution.

And the document, goes on to detail each of these categories, and
sets a 5-year time period during which each of these actions will
take place. This is a huge opportunity for Armenia to become the
beneficiary of a tried and true process to change what needs to be
changed, re-enforce and confirm that which needs to be affirmed –
in a word to strengthen the institutions of state.

The distinction of this document, as the joint statement clearly says,
is that it involves significant measures of economic integration
and political cooperation. It’s called an Action Plan and rightly
so. It is not just a document of intentions, but of concrete actions
to bring Armenia’s social, political, economic systems more in line
with Europe’s since the premise is that we do in fact live in the
same neighborhood and interact together. It opens new partnership
perspectives in very basic fields such as science, education, culture,
and of course in economic development.

These reforms are extremely important for Armenia. We are where we
are today, exactly because we made the courageous economic reforms on
Day 1 of our independence. We knew then and we know even better today
that reforms are our only resource, they are what will strengthen and
empower our society. This document provides the opportunity to move
forward with reforms in a focused, strategic way. It gives us a way
and a means to do what we know we must do – revamp our institutions,
retool our society, rethink our methods and assumptions. We are signing
this on the 15th year of our independence, it will be concluded on
the 20th year of our independence, and we will be able to mark a
new turning point in Armenia’s future as a more democratic, open and
prosperous society," the Foreign Minister’s message says.