E. NALBANDYAN "ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS AND KARABAKH CONFLICT ARE NOT INTER-CONNECTED"

ws/more/id/591678/lang/en
2010-02-24

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 24, ARMENPRESS: The normalization of the
Armenian-Turkish relations and Karabakh conflict regulation are not
inter-connected, Edward Nalbandyan said during today’s government-NA
Q&A, in response to the question of the member of parliament Vardan
Khachatryan.

According to him, with this approach and mutual understanding Armenia
started negotiations with the Turkey and "if Turkey did not have the
same understanding it would not have started the negotiations".

"There is no inter-connection between the Armenian-Turkish protocols
and Karabakh conflict regulation," Armenian foreign minister said,
adding that the same approach is being displayed by mediator
Switzerland, OSCE Minsk Group countries – France, the USA and Russia.

E. Nalbandyan stated that EU too comes from the such position and
in the last report on Turkey called on that country to ratify the
protocols without pre-conditions and implement the achieved agreements.

Armenian foreign minister said that if the Turkish side after signing
of protocols is forwarding pre-conditions "it is the issue of that
country – with corresponding consequences".