PHILIP CROWLEY: U.S. HASN’T CHANGED ITS VIEW ON ARMENIA-TURKISH RAPPROCHEMENT
PanARMENIAN.Net
03.03.2010 16:40 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The U.S. has supported the current process that it
hopes will result in normalized relations between Turkey and Armenia,
Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Public Affairs Philip
J. Crowley said during Daily Press Briefing Washington, DC, on March
2, 2010.
"Within that process, as the Secretary said last week, we think that
there is ample room for Turkey and Armenia to evaluate the historical
facts as to what happened decades ago. So we haven’t changed our view,
but we continue to engage at a high level with both countries and to
encourage them – having worked to reach the agreement in Switzerland
last year to see it implemented on both sides," he said.
"The advancement of normalized relations between Armenia and Turkey
is in the interest of both countries. It’s in the interest of the
region as well. We cannot afford to look at this in zero sum terms,
that somehow scoring a point on one side is a loss for the other. So
I would just say that we continue our high-level – we’ve had intensive
conversations at high levels. The Secretary has been directly involved
extensively and repeatedly. Deputy Secretary Steinberg, Under Secretary
Burns, Assistant Secretary Phil Gordon have all been directly engaged
with the leadership in Turkey and Armenia. The Secretary had a meeting
with Prime Minister Erdogan in Doha talking about this issue. So we
continue to encourage both sides. We understand how difficult this is,
how emotional this is. There’s not a common understanding of what
happened 90 years ago. But we value the courageous steps that both
leaders have taken, and we just continue to encourage both countries
to move forward and not look backward," Mr. Crowley said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
