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European Union urges Turkey to open its border with Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net/ Its upcoming progress report on Turkey, the European Union urges Turkey to open its border with Armenia, stressing that this would be an important step forward in the establishment of good neighborly relations between the two countries and would boost trade relations.

According to the draft progress report obtained by The New Anatolian before the text is released by the EU next Wednesday, while urging Turkey to open its border with Armenia, the EU cites the lack of significant developments in relations between Turkey and Armenia since the official exchange of letters between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian President Robert Kocharian in April 2005.

However the EU notes a closer alignment of Turkey's official position with EU positions in relation with the Southern Caucasus and Central Asia. "Turkey has reiterated its support for the European Neighborhood Policy. Turkey participates in the regional initiative GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova) with observer status. Turkey followed closely the elections in Azerbaijan. It aligned itself with the EU Presidency statement on the elections in Azerbaijan on 10 November 2005," said the report, reported ABHABER.