April 26, 2005 - 13:59 AMT
ARMENIAN PRESIDENT RESPONSE TO TURKISH PREMIER'S LETTER
Armenian President Robert Kocharian has answered the letter of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan proposing to form a joint Armenian-Turkish commission for studying the fact of the Armenian Genocide, the Press Service of the Armenian leader reported. The letter specifically says: «Dear Mr. Prime Minister, I have received your letter. Actually, as neighbors, we should try to find ways to leave peacefully today and in the future. Just due to that reason we proposed establishment of normal relations, opening the borders and starting a dialogue between the countries and the peoples. There are neighbor states - specifically in the European continent - whose past was hard and opinions over it do not coincide. However, it does not prevent them from opening borders, having diplomatic relations, representatives in the capitals, simultaneously discussing disputable issues. Your proposal to address the past cannot be efficient if it does not refer to the present and the future. To get involved in an efficient dialogue we need to form a favorable political atmosphere. Governments are responsible for development of bilateral relations and we do not have the right to delegate historians. Thus, we have proposed and we again proposed establishment of normal relations between our countries without preconditions. Just within that context an intergovernmental commission may be formed to discuss any issue or issues available between our countries aiming at solving them and coming to mutual understanding.»