October 10, 2007 - 19:10 AMT
Oskanian: EU Commission should force Turkey to open its borders with Armenia
"The European Commission should force Turkey to open its borders with Armenia immediately, since the current border closure is a violation of the Copenhagen criteria," Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said when addressing the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs in Brussels.

Minister Oskanian said the border closure also negatively affects the relationship between the EU and the Caucasus region. "Turkey's membership to the European Union may come in 10-15 years. Should Armenia wait until then? This is unacceptable," he said.

"If Turkey does not come to terms with its past, its EU accession prospects will face serious difficulties. The European Union should consider this issue within the framework of human rights," Minister Oskanian said.