VARDAN POGHOSYAN: UNCONDITIONAL RATIFICATION OF PROTOCOLS IN ARMENIA’S INTERESTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.01.2010 17:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian diplomacy’s mistake in RA-Turkey
rapprochement issue was accepting the point on existing border between
the states. This mistake was caused by the fact the Protocols were
created behind closed doors, no experts being allowed to participate
in the process, legal expert Vardan Petrosyan said.

As he noted at the joint news conference with the head of the
department for international agreements of Armenia’s Constitutional
Court, even in this case, ratification of Armenia-Turkey Protocols
without any reservations is in the interests of Armenia. "No wonder
Turkey drags out Protocols’ ratification, having more problems with
them than Armenia does," Vardan Petrosyan said.

He also added that Turkey’s attitude spells county’s unwillingness to
ratify Protocols as they currently are, trying instead to link the
rapprochement to relations with the third country. "Thus, Armenian
President’s initiative on introduction of changes to RA Law on
international agreements was very opportune," the expert emphasized.

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of
the common border between Armenia and Turkey 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.

On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of
Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country’s Organic Law.