EDWARD NALBANDYAN: ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS WERE NOT SIGNED UNDER THE PRESSURE FROM ‘ABOVE’

ArmInfo
2009-10-30 13:53:00

ArmInfo. All the countries of the world, except the one, have
expressed their support to signing of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols,
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan said at today’s joint
press-conference with his Belarus counterpart Sergey Martinov.

He also added that the Protocols were not signed under the pressure
from , and the officials, which were present at the signing ceremony
in Zurich, are intermediaries. ‘It was initiated by Armenia, and
together with Turkey we have come to these agreements. You know that
just in 30 minutes after signing the Protocols UN Secretary General
called both parties to ratify them and respect the arrangements made.

The European Union, France. Germany, Russia and many other countries
also supported this step, helping Armenia and Turkey to normalize
bilateral relations’, – Nalbandyan said.

‘Armenia takes decisions independently and makes steps for their
fulfillment’, – the minister said.

Nalbandyan reiterated once again that the process on normalization of
the Armenian-Turkish relations is not at all connected with Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict settlement. ‘This is not a statement made only by the
Armenian party, the OSCE MG co-chairs said it. Such is the position
of the world community too. This is again evidence of the fact that
these issues are not and cannot be connected with each other’, –
Edward Nalbandyan concluded.