Kouchner: Armenian-Turkish dialog vital for peace in Caucasus

PanARMENIAN.Net - France warmly welcomes the joint announcement by Turkey, Armenia and Switzerland of the development of a "roadmap" aimed at normalizing relations between Ankara and Yerevan, French senior official said.



"France hopes that this new stage in the work undertaken by Armenia and Turkey, States that are both friends of France, will make it possible to show to the world that reconciliation can be achieved through openness and dialogue," Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said.



"Turkish-Armenian dialogue is vital for peace and security in the South Caucasus region. This is a key area of concern for the European Union and France. It is important that this rapprochement be used to facilitate negotiations relating to Nagorno Karabakh. France will assume the co-chairmanship of the Minsk group together with the United States and Russia and will actively continue its efforts to achieve a balanced and negotiated political solution to the conflict," he said.



Mr. Kouchner said France has always encouraged the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations.



This normalization should lead to positive developments towards settling the continuing conflicts in the region, particularly in Nagorno Karabakh. Neighborly relations form part of the process that is on going between the European Union and Turkey," he said.



On April 22, Armenia and Turkey agreed on road-map to normalize ties. The joint statement issued by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Turkey said that Turkey and Armenia, together with Switzerland as mediator, have been working intensively with a view to normalizing their bilateral relations and developing them in a spirit of good-neighborliness, and mutual respect, and thus to promoting peace, security and stability in the whole region.



"The two parties have achieved tangible progress and mutual understanding in this process and they have agreed on a comprehensive framework for the normalization of their bilateral relations in a mutually satisfactory manner. In this context, a road-map has been identified.



This agreed basis provides a positive prospect for the on-going process," the statement said.