RECOGNITION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AND ESTABLISHMENT OF RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA MUST BE AMONG PREREQUISITES LAID BEFORE TURKEY TO ENTER EU

26.12.2000, MEDIAMAX, YEREVAN. Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian said today at a press conference in Yerevan that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the establishment of diplomatic ties with Armenia must be among the membership conditions laid before Turkey to enter the European Union.
The minister stressed that in 2001 “Armenia will take consistent steps in that direction”. At the same time, Oskanian said, Armenia has never considered the recognition of the Armenian genocide by Turkey as a prerequisite for the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations. “Once again I declare about Yerevan’s willingness to start a comprehensive dialogue with Turkey without any prior conditions”, Oskanian said. -0-