SHARMAZANOV NOT RULE OUT RA NA CAN INTRODUCE CLAUSES TO THE PROTOCOLS

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.01.2010 19:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "The decision of the RA Constitutional Court makes
it clear that the court conducted a thorough study of the signed
Armenian-Turkish signed Protocols and took into account the views
and factual materials of the opposition forces, including the legal
statement of the ARF (Dashnaktsutyun)," Edward Sharmazanov, Secretary
of the parliamentary faction of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA)
told reporters.

According to him, the decision of RA Constitutional Court highlights
three things: obligations coming from the Protocols relate only to
Armenia and Turkey, but not any third country, the documents do not
envisage the settlement of disputed issues between the two countries,
since for that purpose the parties must conclude new agreements.

"Finally, Protocols could not be interpreted as contradicting to
Armenian Constitution and the Declaration of Independence of Armenia",
Sharmazanov said.

According to him, the Declaration of Independence of Armenia clearly
states that Armenia should be consistent in the international
recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Sharmazanov did not rule out that the RA NA can introduce clauses to
the Protocols. "However, the Republican Party has clearly expressed its
position on the Armenian-Turkish Protocols, claiming that documents
have no preconditions, and Armenia unilaterally did not take on any
commitments," he stressed.

The protocols were signed in Zurich by Armenian Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu on
October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks held through
Swiss mediation in the presence of the foreign ministers of France,
the United States, Russia and Switzerland, the latter was a mediator in
the Armenian-Turkish negotiations since 2007. According to documents,
diplomatic relations shoud be established between the two countries
and the border closed by Turkey since 1993 shoud be opened.

Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) was founded in 1990 by Ashot
Navasardyan. The ideological basis of the party is the doctrine of
the Armenian political and military leader of the First Republic
of Armenia Garegin Nzhdeh. The birth of the Republican Party is
organically linked with the national liberation struggle in 1988.

Institutional framework for the establishment of the Republican Party
was formed at the beginning of this struggle by the military-political
union "Army of Independence". As a political party it was registered
on 14 May 1991.

The party has made a significant contribution to the work of the
Coordinating Council of volunteer militias, helping to establish the
rule of law and order in the republic, and after the formation of a
regular national army in Armenia Armenian Republican Party declared
about its demilitarization.

In July 2006, the 10th extraordinary congress of the party declared
the Republican Party of Armenia as National Conservative Party.

Chairman of the party up to 1997 was Ashot Navasardyan, between 1997
and 2005 – Andranik Margaryan. At present, the party is headed by
the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan.