EUROPE URGES TO RATIFY ARMENIA-TURKEY PROTOCOLS WITHIN 2 MONTHS

Panorama.am
17:21 12/02/2010

The Europe-Armenia Advisory Council Members addressed an open letter
to the President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek, the EU High
Representative for Foreign Affairs, Baroness Ashton, the Chair of the
European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Gabriele Albertini,
the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus, Peter Semneby,
and the Chair of the EP’s South Caucasus Delegation, Milan Cabrnoch
on the rapprochement between Armenia and Turkey.

"As you are aware, relations between Turkey and Armenia are currently
facing a historic turning point that will deeply affect the future
diplomatic and strategic balances of the South Caucasus region. We
believe that the signing of the protocols on the establishment of
diplomatic relations and on the development of bilateral relations on
10 October 2009 is a truly historic process which will transform the
enmity logic between the two countries and contribute to the security
of the entire region. However, to our deepest regret, it seems that
the rapprochement is being hampered by a lack of political commitment
and a clear attempt to distort the protocols’ core principles,"
the letter runs.

"Concerned about this recent development, the Europe-Armenia Advisory
Council has issued the following declaration:

"The Europe-Armenia Advisory Council, reaffirming that Turkey and
Armenia need to continue the ratification of the signed protocols
without setting preconditions, since these would only impede the
first attempt to find a diplomatic solution for the longest standing
dispute in the South Caucasus; expressing concern over the possible
stalemate of the process and fearing that the window of opportunity to
settle this issue diplomatically might soon be lost for many years;
reaffirming that the EU, as a now better-equipped international
actor and advocate for effective multilateralism and in the light
of its strong link with the parties involved, is the best-positioned
honest-broker and guarantor for the ongoing process:

1) Calls upon all EU Institutions to intervene with all possible
instruments, including a high-level visit to the region, in order
to urge both sides to ratify the protocols without preconditions and
within a reasonable timeframe, which should not exceed two months;

2) Encourages all regional actors to contribute constructively to
the ongoing process and especially invites Azerbaijan to join these
efforts;

3) Notes the statement of the US State Department welcoming the
Armenian Constitutional Court’s ruling on the Armenia-Turkey protocols
and calls upon all relevant European institutions to issue a similar
statement, underlining that this court ruling freed the way for the
protocols’ ratification in Armenia and must not be misused by any
party as a pretext to derail the ratification process;

4) Calls upon the Armenian government and the Armenian Diaspora around
the world to resist the Turkish government’s new attempt to link the
ratification of the protocols to the international recognition of
the Armenian genocide;

5) Reminds all parties involved not to turn to populism during the
historic process of re-establishing ties between Turkey and Armenia."

The authors of the letter expressed firm belief that by participating
in a strong manner in the process, the European Union can seize a
great opportunity to score one more success in conflict settlement
and the stabilization of the region.

The open letter was signed by the the Europe-Armenia Advisory Council
Members Mr Kornel Almassy MP (Hungary), Mr Ioannis Kasoulides MEP
(Cyprus), Dr Bernard Coulie (Belgium), Ms Katja Plate (Germany), Ms
Alexandra Dobolyi (Hungary), Mr Francois Roelants Du Vivier (Belgium),
Mr Frank Engel, MEP (Luxembourg), Mr Valery Safarian (Belgium), Bishop
Joseph Homeyer (Germany), Dr Charles Tannock, MEP (United Kingdom).