President of Armenia: Ankara's policy of "zero problems with neighbors" have brought "zero" results

• Tuesday, January 15, 18:19

The situation in Turkey is growing tense. The policy of "zero problems with neighbors" have brought "zero" results, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said at the enlarged meeting in the Defense Ministry with participation of the heads of the legislative, executive and judicial authorities, governors and the leadership of the law-enforcement agencies, Tuesday.

He said that the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem under slogan "One Nation - Two States" has been trying to force Armenia to go on concessions by means of economic blockade for nearly 20 years.

"They did not succeed in this and will not succeed. As a peaceful, leading and far-seeing nation we understand the importance of confidence building in the region for peaceful co-existence with the neighbors and natural development. Understanding this, we initiated normalization of relations with Turkey.  Everyone knows what happened to that initiative and how Turkey refused from its commitments continuing to keep in blockade the only closed border in Europe," President Sargsyan said.

He said that Ankara's policy of "zero problems with neighbors" has failed because Turkey strives to settle its problems with the neighbors at the expense of the neighbors.  "Today, Turkey is a country that has achieved a big progress, but it will always be insufficient and will have a dramatic end unless the Turkish authorities seriously revise their attitude towards their own state and people. This process is already endangered because Turkey is repeating the mistakes of its own history," the president said.  Sargsyan said that recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide is Turkey's duty to the victims of the Genocide, to the survivors and their successors. However, first of all, it is Turkey's duty to its own people. The president drew attention to the fact that the Turkish people began to cast doubt on the version invited by the Turkish authorities.  The most progressive part of the Turkish public
openly speaks of the Armenian Genocide.

"For Armenia recognition and condemnation of Genocide is not just a demand of justice or fulfillment of the moral duty to the predecessors. It is important for our security. I think that without sincere regret of Turkey and liquidation of consequences of the Genocide, Armenia's existence will remain endangered," Sargsyan said.