  Turkey should conceive European values at least for its own development January 17, 2011 - 21:06 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said that the establishment of lasting peace and stability in the region is among Armenia’s basic priorities. However, the country’s consistent steps taken in this direction reach a deadlock, Mr. Sargsyan said in his speech in the Cypriot parliament. According to him, Armenia’s sincere steps taken towards normalization of relations with Turkey have been stopped by Turkey’s contradictory statements and speculations on the normalization process. “The efforts of Armenia and our partners – participants of the process – have come across a wall of preconditions. We had more than enough moral and legal grounds for setting preconditions. However, we had enough strength to overcome all psychological barriers and to move forward,” the Armenian President said. According to Mr. Sargsyan, currently Turkey claims to be a leader in the region, aspiring towards the “policy of neo-Ottomanism.” Meanwhile, he said that the regional leadership supposes responsible approaches and way of thinking. Sargsyan went on saying: “What did the Ottoman Empire bring to the nations, which were under its yoke, except for massacres, usurpation and extortion?” Referring to Turkey’s policy of “zero problems with neighbors,” the Armenian President noted that there is an impression that Turkey conceives it as subjection of all neighbors to its will. “Possibly, it is advantageous for some countries of the region, but not for Armenia,” said Sargsyan. He noted that the country, which has closed its border with Armenia, exploiting various reasons, and is blackmailing the Armenian nation, cannot claim to be a regional leader. According to the President, Armenia considers itself to be a part of the European family and implements large-scale reforms in close cooperation with European structures. “Hopefully, Turkey will conceive and appraise the importance of these values for its own sustainable development and prosperity,” said Sargsyan.   Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Topic Latest news Macron says France commemorates 109th anniv. of Armenian genocide  Today France commemorates the 109th anniversary of the Armenian genocide of 1915, Macron says.Pashinyan: We must stop searching for homeland, we have found that homeland Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has shared a message on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.Erdogan wants “realistic road map” for relations with Armenia Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for a “new realistic road map” for relations with Armenia.Armenia-Azerbaijan: Experts launch work on determining coordinates Expert groups from the countries started the process of determining the coordinates based on geodetic measurements. |
