ALEXANDER ARZUMANYAN: THE ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS AND THE KARABAKH ISSUE ARE INTERCONNECTED
Lusine Vasilyan

"Radiolur"
01.09.2009 16:48

Representative of the Armenian National Congress, ex-Foreign Minister
Alexander Arzumanyan considers that the initiatives targeted at the
normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations will accelerate the
process of settlement of the Karabakh issue. "The two processes are
interconnected, and ensuring the settlement of the one at the expense
of the other is unacceptable," the ex-Foreign Minister said.

Alexander Arzumanyan said the necessity of ratification of the
protocols in not understandable, either. "The ratification of protocols
on the establishment of diplomatic relations is not a common practice
in international relations," Alexander Arzumanyan noted.

"Armenia has established diplomatic relations with about 140 countries.

It has signed similar protocols with each country, neither of which
has been ratified by the Parliament. My concern is that the format
of ratification is not understandable and it provides an opportunity
to delay the moment the protocols should come into force. That means
holding the Armenian-Turkish relations as hostage, waiting for the
Karabakh issue to be settled," Alexander Arzumanyan stated.