Turkey Accuses Armenia Of Being Unsociable And Suspicious

[Gavur]

ArmRadio.am
09.05.2007 13:30

Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement on the
fact of forbidding the Turkish observers to arrive in Armenia within
the OSCE Mission to monitor the parliamentary elections on May 12.

Azerbaijani APA agency informs that on May 6 eight members of the
OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights were told
that Yerevan has not provided them with entry visas. According to
the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this step evidences that
Armenia is far from constructive dialogue, is an unsociable and
suspicious country. Turkey calls on all the countries and international
organizations to draw conclusions from this fact.

[Gavur]

Vartan Oskanian: Refusal To Provide Visas To Turkish Observers Was Natural

ArmRadio.am
09.05.2007 14:14

The refusal to provide visas to Turkish observers was natural, RA
Foreign Minister *Vartan Oskanian told the journalists today.

The Foreign Minister mentioned that it's impossible to provide visas
to representatives of a country with which Armenia has no diplomatic
relations and the border is closed. In Mr. Oskanian's words, with
this step Armenia once again calls the attention of the international
community to the unsettled Armenian-Turkish relations. The Foreign
Minister informed that one Turkish observer received an entry visa,
because he represents the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe and not Turkey as separate.

As for the elections, the Minister expressed hope that these will be
free and fair.

*Vartan Oskanian is a graduate of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, as well as Harvard University. He has served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia since 1998.