ARMENIA ASPIRES TO ESTABLISH GOOD-NEIGHBORLY RELATIONS WITH ALL NEIGHBOR STATES
armradio.am
01.10.2009 14:14
Today the Armenian National Assembly is holding parliamentary hearings
on the Armenian-Turkish relations. Speaking on the Parliament floor,
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said such discussions provided
an opportunity to listen to various opinions on Armenian-Turkish
relations, to understand the public comprehension of certain issues.
"Ever since independence Armenia has been ready to normalize
relations with Turkey without preconditions. Now we are realizing this
aspiration. The relations between Armenia and Turkey go beyond the
circles of bilateral political relations and include issues affected
by historical, moral-psychological and other factors."
Turning to the pre-signed protocols, Edward Nalbandian said: "Are there
any preconditions? No, and once again no. Do we question the fact of
the Armenian Genocide, do we prevent the international recognition
of the Armenian Genocide? No, and once again no. Is there any tie
between the pre-signed documents and the negotiations on the Karabakh
conflict settlement? No, and once again no."
"The Armenian President has declared many times that Armenia dos not
discuss the issue of whether there has been an Armenian Genocide or
not. It does not question the fact of Genocide and the importance of
its international recognition. As Foreign Minister, I have declared
about it in Istanbul in November 2008 in presence of more than a
hundred journalists," the Minister said.
As regards the link between the protocols and the Karabakh issue,
the Foreign Minister said: "The pre-signed protocols include no
mention of any precondition, moreover, a precondition related to the
Karabakh settlement."
The issue of Armenian-Turkish relations is a complex of psychological,
social, legal, economic and political issues. Therefore, its settlement
cannot be easy. Armenia aspires to establish good-neighborly relations
with all neighbor states," the Minister stated.