Gagik Minasyan: Turkey goes on speaking in a language of preconditions

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS: Turkey goes on speaking in a language of preconditions, NA member Gagik Minasyan said today at a meeting with journalists, referring to the statement of the Turkish President, according to which Armenia must leave the Azerbaijani territories.

“It is more than obvious that the Nagorno Karabakh Republic has been self-determined in its territory, it has not used any other territory. Moreover, one of the territories founded by it -Shahumyan, is a part of Azerbaijan up to now. If there is an issue of speaking of expropriating of other state, Turkey must be the first to show itself as an occupant of our friend country – Cyprus,” Mr. Minasyan said. According to him, speaking in a language of preconditions, Turkey once more gives a way to the way of acting which has already discredited it.

Referring to the current round of regulation of Armenian-Turkish relations, the parliament member said that the process is in a passive stage, but has not expired itself. Speaking of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s visits to Cyprus and Greece, Mr. Minasyan noted that there are prospects of serious development of interstate relations.

“I think a country like Cyprus, which has an issue of restoration of territorial integrity, will support the perceptions of Armenia in regard to NK issue regulation within the EU frameworks. The Chairman of Cyprus, being the first among the countries of the European Union, distinctly stressed that he sees the realization of self-determination right of peoples in the basis of regulation of the Karabakh issue,” Mr. Minasyan said.

The parliamentarian noted that Serzh Sargsyan’s latest visits are in accordance with the undertaking foreign policy declared by him. According to him, in the sphere of bilateral relations agreements have been gained for development of economic, cultural and educational spheres. It has been registered the political relations between the two countries suggest that the economic cooperation must be deeper, more efficient and diverse.

The representatives of the business circles accompanying the president, too, have reached agreements. According to Mr. Minasyan, we must expect them to give their positive results in near future both by investment of the Greek and Cyprian capital in Armenia and by establishment of joint ventures.