September 24, 2003 - 19:09 AMT
"DASHNAKTSUTYUN" PARTY DEMANDED EXPLANATIONS OF STATEMENT BY DEPUTY MINISTER OF CULTURE
At yesterday's session of the National Assembly of Armenia, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation "Dashnaktsutyun" (ARFD) made a statement demanding that minister of culture Tamara Poghosian explain the statement by deputy minister of culture Karen Aristakesian at the meeting of ministers of culture of Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey in Antalya. At that the ARFD considered at least "inexplicable the fact that an Armenian official participates in a meeting organized by Turkey, a country until now violating all norms of international law, which putting forward pre-conditions, has not established diplomatic relations with Armenia." In the ARFD opinion, such expressions of an incorrect approach to the issue of the Armenian Genocide found in addresses of officials of Armenia at various international forums, specifically in Turkey, harm the foreign policy of the country. It should be reminded that according to "Milliet" Turkish newspaper, at the meeting of the Armenian, Azeri, Georgian and Turkish foreign ministers held in Antalya within the framework of European Commission "Transition period cultural policy: dialogue and new partnership" program deputy minister of culture of Armenia Karen Aristakesian "called Ankara to reconciliation." He specifically noted that "time has come to become closer and get to know each other better."