CE WILL REFER TO THE ISSUE OF OPENING THE BORDERS WITH TURKEY

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Armenia will not be excluded from the Kars-Akhalqalaq-Tbilisi-Baku railway program. At least this was what the Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner promised today. «We will not finance any regional program which excludes Armenia», she said in a press conference today.

This is the first time the former OSCE Chairman-in-Office has visited Armenia since she was appointed in her new position. The aim of the visit is to enhance the relations between the CE and the countries of the Southern Caucasus. Mrs. Ferrero-Waldner intends to meet the Presidents of the three South-Caucasian countries and to clear up action plan of the European Neighborhood Policy, as well as the frozen conflicts of the reign and issues about power security.

In this connection Benita Ferrero-Waldner greeted the construction of the gas pipeline Armenia-Iran. She also informed that Turkey will face the issue of opening the borders with Armenia for the sake of the full cooperation of Armenia and the CE. Benita Ferrero-Waldner also voiced hope that in 2006 serious progress can be recorded in the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict. By the way, before arriving in Yerevan in Baku Mrs. Ferrero-Waldner had announced that CE is ready to support the settlement of the NKR conflict, but it is not yet clear how. «We will help you if you turn to us», she said.

The ENP-Armenia cooperation program will become clearer during the meeting of the Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy and the representatives of the three South-Caucasian countries which will take place on March 6 in Brussels.