HEARINGS ON ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS IN PARLIAMENT OF ARMENIA
ArmInfo
2009-10-01 13:01:00
ArmInfo. Hearings on a topic "Initialed Armenian-Turkish Protocols
and Settlement of Armenian-Turkish Relations" have started in the
Parliament of Armenia.
Representatives of parliamentary factions and non-parliamentary
political forces, as well as historians, political experts and
representatives of diplomatic missions take part in hearings.
As Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandyan said in his
speech, since gaining of independence, Armenia has always claimed
of its readiness to establish relations with Turkey without
preconditions. According to him, today Armenia carries out its
aspiration: ‘Armenian- Turkish relations are outside the framework
of bilateral interstate relations and include moral, psychological,
historical and other aspects’. The minister recalled that Turkey has
always shown a pro-Azerbaijani stance, however, there is no mention
of the Karabakh settlement as a precondition in the Protocols. Along
with it, E. Nalbandyan specially emphasized that no preconditions exist
in the process of settlement of the Armenian-Turkish relations. ‘The
fact of the Armenian Genocide is not prejudiced in this process, and
the Karabakh conflict is in no way connected with the Armenian-Turkish
process’, Armenian FM emphasized. The minister added that the president
of Armenia has multiply officially claimed that Armenia does not
discuss the fact of the Armenian Genocide and does not endanger its
international recognition.
According to E. Nalbandyan, the Genocide issue is considered not in
the context of the Armenian-Turkish relations but from the viewpoint
of universal values. Nalbandyan also said that the viewpoint, saying
the Genocide becomes just an issue of bilateral relations and looses
its panhuman meaning, is artificial.
In his turn, parliament Chairman Hovik Abrahamyan said the current
stage of the Armenian- Turkish relations is a critical. He hailed the
active foreign policy of Armenia. ‘This is important for both parties
and requires a political will both by Armenia and Turkey. We must
understand the tricks of the Turkish party for the Armenian-Turkish
relations issue not to be discussed in the context of the Armenian
Genocide and Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement’, H. Abrahamyan said.