Armenian-Turkish Cross-border Cooperation

On November 29, 2008, an international conference on “Armenian-Turkish cross-border cooperation: possible initiatives by Armenia and Turkey” took place in Vanadzor.

The conference was organized by “Analytical Center of Globalization and Regional Cooperation”. Experts, lecturers, students, representatives of NGOs, citizens were taking part in the conference.
  The member of “ARI” movement, the director of Women’s Entrepreneurship and Leadership Center Ozgul Erdemli Mutlu, the coordinator of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor Arthur Sakunts, the editor-in-chief of “Turkish Policy Quarterly “ magazine, Diba Nigar Goksel, Stepan Grigoryan, the president of “Analytical Center of Globalization and Regional Cooperation” made speeches.
  The goal of the meeting was to change the stereotypes formed in Armenia and Turkey, by creating new relationships and effective cooperation between the nations.
  At the beginning of the meeting the experts presented the current situation in Armenia and Turkey, border, cultural, political and other problems, expressed different points of view .
“The best policy is honesty for nations, re-assessing the facts, the two nations should have good relationships with each other”,- mentioned one of the participants.
   “ We should see security in the borders being open. There is no freedom of speech and expression in the; it concerns national minorities, it is an important problem”,- underlined Arthur Sakunts.
  The regulation of the relationship between the youth of both countries was in the focus of attention, as youth is stimulation for the conflict resolution.
  There was free discussion, exchange of opinions during the meeting.
The guests asked questions related to the Armenian-Turkish, Armenian-Azeri relationship and the current cross-border problems.
“We should create ’free market of ideas’ where everybody can persuade one another, can create a new history”,- pointed out Diba Nigar Goksel.