Interfax, Russia
March 5 2010

Yerevan: Ankara admits it is slowing protocols ratification

YEREVAN March 5

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian has described statements
by his Turkish counterpart as recognition that Ankara has been
artificially slowing ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocol.

"If Ankara indeed said that Armenian-Turkish protocols could be
ratified in three days, this means that Turkey could have done so
months ago. But it did not. Not three, but 33 days have passed since
the protocols were referred to the Turkish parliament, which means
that Ankara acknowledges it has been slowing this process
artificially," the Armenian Foreign Ministry quoted Nalbandian as
saying.

This violates the agreements Yerevan and Ankara reached with mediation
from Switzerland, he said.

"Moreover, Turkey keeps threatening to cut the process short. The
language of preconditions is being followed by the language of
threats.

I don’t think the processes that have begun can be a success if this
position is not reversed," the Armenian foreign minister said.

"Suppose we ratify the protocols in Turkish parliament in three days,"
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu said on Thursday. "What if a
war restarts in Karabakh? Shall we have to close the borders again?"
the Turkish foreign minister said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress