“The real problem lies with Turkey; I cannot tell young French school students that Europe’s borders lie along Syria and Iraq. If we accept Turkey then, putting aside the Ukraine for a moment, we have to accept Lebanon, Israel, and the Magrib.

If Europe really wants to give off a sense of security, then its borders must be defined.

We should deepen our relations with Turkey, but not to the point of EU membership.

What we need is an urgent declaration of ‘privileged partnership’ with Turkey...” the letter says.

Turkey’s membership to EU is not problem for Armenia

Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian stated in an interview with Austrian newspaper Der Standart the following in response to Turkey's membership in EU.

“Turkey’s membership to the European Union is not a problem for Armenia, even just the opposite. Armenia would benefit most of all if Turkey fulfilled those preconditions that the EU demands. It would mean an open border between Armenia and Turkey, improving protection of the Armenian minority in Turkey and their property, Turkish intellectuals could freely speak about the Armenian Genocide and EU’s borders would approach Armenia. What else we would like to wish?”

Picture: French conservative presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy, left, shares a joke with an ex miner as he visits a former coal mine. Sarkozy and Socialist Party candidate Segolene Royal face a runoff on May 6, when voters must choose between their starkly different plans for reviving the economy and France's global profile after 12 years under Jacques Chirac

Sources: Pan ARMENIAN.Net , Ya Libnan