| Arsen Ghazarian and Kaan Soyak, co-chairmen of the Turkish-Armenian Business Development Committee (TABDC) released a joint New Year message, which particularly reads»: The process of Turkish-Armenian dialogue is five years old. For years many Armenians and Turks of good will have been advocating for the idea of cooperation. What has been gained so far gives us strength and hope to withstand the future. We believe that there is an immediate need for direct contacts and broad possibilities for development of cooperation. We believe that the processes of diplomatic rapprochement and civilian initiatives should proceed simultaneously.
On the eve of the New Year we would like to stress the necessity for inter-state relations and intergovernmental contacts. The TABDC will be dedicated to strengthening of people diplomacy through reciprocal visits. Dialogue and interaction are obligatory conditions for establishment of mutual understanding and consideration of sensitive issues for public organizations and business associations to pursue regional prosperity.
We are supporters of concrete actions and feasible goals. Pragmatic approach may bring forth the interests of Turks and Armenians and will have a long-term and direct impact on the public opinion. Actions are more important than words. Dialogue demands courage and strengthening of trust is important. The dialogue and cooperation should be transparent. We bear the burden of the past; we also bear the responsibility for the bright future of our people. The only way for consideration of the questions of the past is creation of the present and building of the future. Our five years experience has taught us that there are no impediments for Armenians and Turks to embark on a dialogue and cooperation. The only impediment is the closed borders, which does not allow us to step up cooperation and human contacts. The separating border is meaningless. Everyone accepts that the fate of our nations is interrelated. We can build our future by joint efforts only for the sake of peace. We never give up our dream of seeing Ararat and Ani as the location for reconciling Armenians and Turks.” |
Akgün Medya