EDWARD NALBANDIAN: AGREEMENT ON NORMALIZATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS WILL BE SIGNED SOON
NOYAN TAPAN
APRIL 16, 2009
YEREVAN
Today there is no intention to sign a document on normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations. Negotiations between Armenia and Turkey
continue, there is progress. "I think soon we will be able to come
to an agreement," RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian stated at
the April 16 press briefing in Yerevan held within the framework of
a regular meeting of Foreign Ministers of BSEC country-members.
In connection with various statements on the possibility of Turkey’s
influencing the Nagorno Karabakh settlement E. Nalbandian said:
"Negotiations are conducted within the framework of OSCE Minsk
Group. It is the very format of negotiations, and there is no other
format. Turkey is not a mediator in the Nagorno Karabakh settlement,"
E. Nalbandian stated.
Answering the same question, Azeri Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud
Mahmudkuliyev said: "We welcome efforts of any state aimed at
settlement of this conflict. Conflict’s continuation does not give
advantages to any of the sides," he stated. The Azeri Foreign Ministry
representative also noted that Turkey is a member of OSCE Minsk
Group and if Turkey has serious proposals on conflict settlement,
Azerbaijan is ready to consider them.
As to activation of contacts between Yerevan and Ankara
M. Mahmudkuliyev said that Azerbaijan considers these contacts as the
affairs of these two countries. At the same time he added: "However,
there are also issues here connected with the Armenian-Azeri relations,
and we attentively follow development of relations between Armenia
and Turkey. Restoration of contacts between these two countries can
be connected only with settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict."
In his words, the Armenian-Turkish relations were broken off because of
this conflict and the main reason of it was "Armenian side’s occupying
Azeri regions." Therefore Azerbaijan considers that normalization
of relations between Turkey and Armenia should be connected with the
Nagorno Karabakh settlement.
It should be mentioned that Turkish Foreign Minister Ali
Babacan takes part in the meeting of Foreign Ministers of BSEC
country-members. However, the latter refused to answer journalists’
questions.