“We agree that the border ought to be opened without preconditions, simply a year ago the Turkish ambassador said that the protocols are frozen, but not frozen to death. We would like to know your opinion on this, we understand that some diplomatic wok has been done, I will not dispute the goodwill gestures, but don’t you think that if, for example, a step is taken by the Armenia side, and, let’s say, not the NKR but concession of some other areas will help this process?” such a question was addressed to the ARF MP Aghvan Vardanyan by the presiding chairman of the session, British Parliamentarian Sajjad Karim during the session of the Armenia-EU Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.
Before his speech, the ARF MP Aghvan Vardanyan, speaking of the Armenian-Turkish relations, said that Turkey should open the border without preconditions. The Head of the Armenia-Europe South Caucasus Delegation addressed the issue of the Armenian Genocide being a major issue for the relations with Turkey, inquiring whether the event marking the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide would not have a negative impact on Turkey’s actions. Aghvan Vardanyan replied, “We have always said that the Armenian-Turkish relations should be without preconditions. What is meant by putting the relations of the third state with Azerbaijan as precondition for the relations between Armenia and Turkey? This is also unacceptable by the rules of the international diplomacy. Naturally, there can be no words ceding any territory. Objective viewers will assess what is currently going on both in the borderline between Armenia and Azerbaijan and between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan. The attacks taken by Azerbaijan, which results in dozens of casualties, the armor that is carried out by Azerbaijan, do not leave any chance for any concession. To concede a region means bringing these attacks closer to Nagorno-Karabakh, and in this regard we exclude ceding anything, we will not go for any concession by any condition.”
As to the question of the genocide, Aghvan Vardanyan noted that Turkey continues its denial policy for hundred years. “Look, on that day they have organized an event to cast a shadow on the commemoration taking place in Yerevan so that the leaders of different countries in the world would not come to Armenia. What does this show? It comes to prove that Turkey evades confronting its history. Armenians are not people of hostility and hatred as they realize that the hostility is a distress for the person and the state. We just respect ourselves and protect our rights, forcing others to respect us as well.”
Nelly GRIGORYAN
