RAPPROCHEMENT STALLED AFTER SIGNING OF PROTOCOLS. CROWLEY

Tert.am
17.04.10

In a recent briefing US Assistant Secretary of State Philip J. Crowley
referred to the Armenia-Turkey normalization and the recent meetings
in Washington saying that some very important meetings were held both
with Armenian and Turkish sides.

According to the US State Department website Crowley said that the
Armenia-Turkey normalization process has been stalled after the
signature of the Armenia-Turkey Protocols.

"The process has stalled from last fall when the countries signed
the protocols on normalization. We want to see Turkey and Armenia
ratifying those protocols, normalize relations, open borders. That
has significant benefits for both countries. And we continue to work
with both to see if we can find the right formula, the right timing
to see ratification and the benefits that come with ratification,"
said Crowley

Asked whether the US works with its Azerbaijani counterparts to resolve
the disagreement with them over the Armenia-Turkey normalization, as
Baku has some objections to it, Crowley said: "We continue to work to
see how we can – I mean, there are things that both countries have
committed to do. There are difficult processes working with their
respective parliaments. We know this is a difficult process. We know
it involves emotion on both sides, risk on both sides, and we will
continue to work constructively with Armenia and Turkey to try to
see this process through."