U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that positive relations between Turkey and Armenia would be in the interest and stability of the region.
In an exclusive interview with the A.A. correspondent, Ban responded to the questions on Turkish-Armenian rapprochement, Alliance of Civilizations, and Turkey’s EU membership.
Commenting on the recent developments in relations between Turkey and Armenia, Ban said the protocol, aiming at boosting relations, was the “landmark” in relations.
Ban said he knew that there was a long lasting historical matter between the two countries, noting that, “however, positive and harmonized relations between Turkey and Armenia, being the two important countries of the same region, would be extremely important both for the stability and peace in the region and for the cooperation of the peoples of the two countries.”
Asked to comment on Alliance of Civilizations Initiative, Ban said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero started this initiative and now the initiative got much support from the international community.
Ban welcomed inclusion of the United States to the Alliance of Civilizations Friends Group, indicating that this would contribute to the understanding among cultures.
Ban said he would attend the third forum of the initiative which would take place at the end of this month and would see Erdogan there.
UN Secretary General said lack of respect and understanding in different cultures and beliefs lied in the basis of many incidents in the world based on violence.
When recalled that some European leaders opposed to full membership of the EU and asked if he believed that Turkey would be a member of the EU one day, Ban said he knew that Turkish government carried talks with its European counterparts to be a full member and that he closely followed the developments.
Ban said negotiations regarding Turkey’s EU membership should continue between Turkish and European leaders.
Turk Net
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