YEREVAN.- Borders in Europe must not be used as dividing lines, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said at a joint briefing with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

Armenian government should deepen cooperation within the Eastern Partnership, President added.

“In the 21st century there must be no closed borders, the threat of force, xenophobia and racism,” Sargsyan emphasized.

He said the statements and actions become inadequate when one of the partner states calls another state an enemy.

“We can not pretend that everything is fine, when Turkey, a G20 member and candidate country for EU membership, continues to illegally hold blockade of the border with Armenia, a member of the Eastern Partnership project. This is not only contradicts the logic of the partnership, but also violates the most important rules and principles of international law,” President Sargsyan told reporters in Yerevan.

Serzh Sargsyan said that during his meeting with Jose Manuel Barroso, he presented Armenia’s approaches to the settlement of Karabakh conflict which are in compliance with the EU position.

“Armenia has repeatedly stressed that Nagorno-Karabakh is a member of the European family and is sharing the same values. We attach importance to the direct contacts, in particular visits, of the EU representatives with Nagorno-Karabakh,” President concluded.

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am