Opening of Armenian-Turkish border will provide solution to Armenia's problems, ex Foreign MinisterSeptember 22, 2009 - 21:21 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Protocols on the normalization of Armenian-Turkish ties do not create equal conditions for establishing friendly relations with Turkey, ex-Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said today in Yerevan, during a discussion devoted to Armenian-Turkish ties. "After getting familiarized with documents it becomes clear that Armenian side was forced to accept either the Protocols or the negotiations over them, based on the idea that Armenia's development and existence depends on border opening. In short, documents pave Turkey's way to what it has been striving for over 17 years,» Oskanyan noted. Current situation, he said, is similar to late 1997 when Armenian authorities were using all possible methods to explain to people that the country could develop without the settlement of Karabakh problem.«Armenia's economy is currently experiencing 18% downfall. Diaspora has got detached from its motherland. Armenia's not a democratic state. Opening of Armenian-Turkish border will not provide solution to those problems,» Vardan Oskanyan stressed, adding that Armenia's leadership seeks to resolve the country's internal problem beyond its borders but that cannot be achieved by signing Protocols. In the meantime, ex-Foreign Minister said he was not against Armenian-Turkish rapprochement. Border opening, according to him, is first of all necessary for Ankara considering that Armenian side does not have to make haste. «We might open border in a couple of years, having a much more acceptable and favorable document with Turkey. Besides, publicity of the process became our enemy. We might have conducted talks, agreed on certain points and only thereafter introduced a concrete document to society,» Vardan Oskanyan stated. Besides, he added, that Ankara has several times pushed Armenia to renounce Protocols. Top stories The Cabinet of Ministers decided on Thursday, November 9 to allocated AMD 120 million to arrange the gathering. Michael Roth believes sanctions must be put on the table after Baku‘s ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Yerevan City Council has elected Tigran Avniyan from the ruling Civil Contract as the mayor of the Armenian capital. The Armenian Parliament on Tuesday, October 3 voted to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Partner news | U.S. warns Georgia not to side with Moscow against the west Georgia has been warned by the U.S. not to become an adversary of the west by falling back in line with Moscow. Power of One Dram sums up two-year program with Teach for Armenia Idram Junior also joined the companies during the visit, bringing with it a fascinating intellectual game for children Moscow slams EU mission in Armenia for “provocative activity” The EU mission is doing more and more against Armenia’s neighbors Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, Mikhail Galuzin said. Yerevan Mayor to travel to Paris on May 15-19 The official delegation headed by Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan will travel to Paris from May 15 to 19. |