Armenian interests will not be damaged if Gul watches football in Yerevan

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Union of Armenians of Russia supports the initiative of RA President Serzh Sargsyan to invite his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul to Yerevan.



"The Armenian Diaspora numbers 8 million people and all have different opinions. We rate President Sargsyan's invitation as a good will gesture. Armenian interests will not be damaged if Gul watches football in Yerevan," said Gegham Khalatyan, UAR Vice President.



"Armenia will benefit anyway. As to the United States and Russia… Over 100 of U.S. Congressmen and presidential candidate Barack Obama stand for recognition of the Armenian Genocide. At the same time, Turkey is an important ally for the U.S. and it's natural that each initiative for normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations is welcomed," he said. "To achieve serious results, Turkey should first of all openly face the dark pages of its history. Otherwise, all efforts will be useless."



"Russia pursues a pragmatic policy in the region, although it often doesn't meet long-term strategic interests. However, presence of the border guards and a military base in Armenia is a restraint for Turkey," Khalatyan said, ANF news agency reports.