A group of military professionals studying at the Washington DC-based National War College visited the Civilitas Foundation on May 13. The visit was part of their study tour to the South Caucasus.
The group met with Civilitas Director Salpi Ghazarian who described Civilitas programs and projects. The visitors had an opportunity to speak extensively with Civilitas Board President Vartan Oskanian.
They were interested in several issues, including recent developments on Armenian-Turkish relations, the linkage of the border opening issue to a Karabakh resolution. Mr. Oskanian expressed his concerns regarding the developments, explaining that the current situation with Armenia being involved in this public process and coming under pressure, doesn’t serve Armenia’s best interests. Mr. Oskanian also stressed that Turkey’s preconditions, and keeping the border closed is not of benefit to the region as a whole. The visitors were also interested in broader geopolitical issues, Armenia’s stance on US-Russia relations as well as other possible developments in the region.