ARMENIA PUTS HOLD ON RATIFYING ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS

RIA Novosti
April 22, 2010
YEREVAN

Armenian President Serzh Sargysan on Thursday signed a decree putting
a hold on ratification of Armenian-Turkish protocols, the presidential
press service reported.

"After consultations with the parties of the ruling coalition and a
National Security Council session, we have decided not to quit the
process of normalizing relations with Turkey, but just to put on
hold the ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols. I am sure
it’s right what our national interests demand," Sargysan said in his
appeal to the nation.

Armenia still aims to establish full diplomatic relations with Turkey,
and will return to the issue when seeing there is an "appropriate
atmosphere" and corresponding readiness in Ankara to normalize
relations, he said.

Sargysan said he had discussed the prospects for Armenian -Turkish
relations with the French, U.S. and Russian presidents as well as
with other partners.

"I won’t hide that our partners called on me to continue the process,
not to quit it," he said.

Long strained relations between Armenia and Turkey took a major
step forward on October 10, 2009, when Armenian Foreign Minister
Eduard Nalbandyan and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Devutoglu signed
protocols on establishing diplomatic relations and developing bilateral
relations.

The documents, signed in Switzerland, have to be ratified by both
countries to come into force.

The Armenian-Turkish border was closed in 1993 on Ankara’s initiative.

Bilateral relations between the countries are complicated by Turkey’s
support of Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia over Nagorny
Karabakh and differing positions on the genocide of Armenians by the
Ottoman Empire during World War I, which Ankara consistently denies.