THE COALITION IS REMOVING THE PROTOCOLS FROM THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF ARMENIA

NOYAN TAPAN
APRIL 22, 2010
YEREVAN

"During the past two years the Armenian President with the support
of political majority in the National Assembly of the Republic
of Armenia carried out consistent steps in the direction of the
establishment and development of Armenian-Turkish relations without
any preconditions. The USA, the Russian Federation, France, Switzerland
rendered their great support to that process. Several countries around
the world positively reacted to that initiative emphasizing its unique
significance for the establishment of regional stability and for
resolving the existing issues through civilized dialogue. However,
Armenia’s consistent steps and the international community’s
expectations constantly clashed with Turkey’s inconsistent and evasive
position and the continuous policy of proposing preconditions, which
led to a stalemate in the process of the ratification of Armenia-Turkey
Protocols, signed on October 10, 2009 in Zurich, within reasonable
timeframes. The political majority in the National Assembly of Armenia
considers unacceptable the Turkish side’s stance, particularly, the
latest statements by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
which make the ratification of the Protocols directly dependent upon
the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh-Azerbaijan conflict. At the
same time, taking into account that Turkey’s refusal to ratify the
protocols within a reasonable timeframe makes any further continuation
of their ratification process in the Armenian Parliament senseless
at this stage, the country’s ruling majority considers it necessary
to suspend that process and remove the discussion of the issue from
the agenda of the RA Parliament’s four-day sessions until the Turkish
side is ready to further continue the process without preconditions."