YEREVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Giro Manoyan, the Responsible Person of ARFD Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office, considers that it should not be excluded that a document on opening the border will be signed between Armenia and Turkey in 2009. As the ARFD figure mentioned at the March 16 press conference, he came to that conclusion taking as a basis the rumors spread and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statements. The signing of the above mentioned document, according to G. Manoyan, depends on the fact of whether Turkey will manifest a political will. "The Turks understand that the document is in their interests," the ARFD figure said. Touching upon Armenia's interests, he expressed concern that presence of such a document may suppress the Armenians in the issue of protecting their own rights, as well as may force them to renounce the demand of recognizing the Armenian Genocide. G. Manoyan said that at present ARFD is preparing an analysis having a goal to find out the influence of opening the Armenian-Turkish border on Armenia's economy. According to him, opening the border can become an "occasion for Turkish economic invasion." As to U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Turkey scheduled for April 6, G. Manoyan expressed an opinion that it has two explanations. The first explanation, according to him, is that B. Obama has decided not to use the word "genocide" on April 24 and goes to calm down the Turks and the other is that he has decided to pronounce that word and wishes to gain Turkey's favor in some way. In G. Manoyan's affirmation, the U.S. President will keep his preelection promise and will recognize the Armenian Genocide. In response to the question of whether he will not avoid doing it trying not to endanger the state interest of the United States, G. Manoyan stated that the recognition of the Genocide is just in the interests of the U.S. "It is the President who decides the state interest, and he would not like to have partners constantly speaking in the language of the blackmail like Turkey. B. Obama will strive for solving that problem once and for all," the speaker concluded.

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