BARROSO HOPES GUL’S VISIT HERALDS DIALOGUE
Today’s Zaman
Nov 8 2008
Turkey
Hailing a landmark visit to Yerevan by President Abdullah Gul in
September, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso has
encouraged Turkey to take further steps to pave the way for concrete
rapprochement between estranged neighbors Armenia and Turkey.
In an annual progress report released earlier this week, the EU had
praised Gul’s visit to Yerevan at the invitation of his Armenian
counterpart, Serzh Sarksyan. During the one-day visit, which made Gul
the first ever Turkish president to visit Armenia, Gul and Sarksyan
watched a World Cup qualifying match between the national teams of the
two countries. "President Gul’s visit was a very important initiative,"
Barroso was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency at a joint
press conference held with Sarksyan in Brussels on Thursday.
"I believe that there is need for more gestures in the region. I hope
this initiative does not remain only a visit and that it becomes the
beginning of a true dialogue," Barroso added, while acknowledging
that problems between Armenia and Turkey were "sometimes difficult,
dramatic and very sensitive." However, he said, the two parties could
overcome problems by showing political courage.
Barroso also voiced satisfaction over the fact that Armenia had
responded positively to Ankara’s proposal for a Caucasus Stability
and Cooperation Platform to promote dialogue between the countries
of that region. "The ongoing exchange of views between Yerevan and
Ankara will have a positive impact on the security of the Caucasian
region — including the Nagorno-Karabakh issue," he said.
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