AAA: Armenia won't sacrifice its principles to relations with Turkey
Serzh Sargsyan's invitation and Abdullah Gul's arrival offered a possibility to open dialog between the two states, said AAA Regional Director for Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
"Nevertheless, willingness to open a dialog doesn't mean that Armenia renounces the essence of its national security - recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Turkey should have the courage to face its history," Arpi Vartanian told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. "Time is needed to get the things moving. We live in the 21st century, when a country can't exist like an island in the region. We should live in peace with neighbors. But, I do repeat, it doesn't mean that Armenia is ready to sacrifice its principles to establish relations with Turkey."
As to possible influence of the U.S. presidential election on normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations, Ms. Vartanian said the American constituency is concentrated on internal problems. "Candidates Obama and McCain differ on the Armenian Genocide issue but their opinions of Caucasus policy coincide," he said.
"Nevertheless, willingness to open a dialog doesn't mean that Armenia renounces the essence of its national security - recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Turkey should have the courage to face its history," Arpi Vartanian told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. "Time is needed to get the things moving. We live in the 21st century, when a country can't exist like an island in the region. We should live in peace with neighbors. But, I do repeat, it doesn't mean that Armenia is ready to sacrifice its principles to establish relations with Turkey."
As to possible influence of the U.S. presidential election on normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations, Ms. Vartanian said the American constituency is concentrated on internal problems. "Candidates Obama and McCain differ on the Armenian Genocide issue but their opinions of Caucasus policy coincide," he said.
