NALBANDYAN: TURKEY BLOCKED RATIFICATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS

ARKA
May 12, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, May 12. /ARKA/. Turkey blocked ratification process of
Armenian-Turkish protocols in its Parliament, said Edward Nalbandyan,
Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs in his speech during the 120th
session of Committee of Ministers in Strasbourg.

Process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations started in
autumn 2008 by the initiative of Serzh Sargsyan, President of Armenia.

Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Turkey Edward Nalbandyan
and Ahmed Davutoghlu signed "Protocol on establishment of diplomatic
relations" and "Protocol on development of mutual relations" on
October 10, Saturday, in Zurich. Then these documents should be
approved by the parliaments of both countries. But on April 22, 2010
Sargsyan signed a decree on the termination of ratification process
of Armenian-Turkish protocols saying that Turkey is not ready to
continue the started process.

After signing the protocols Turkey went back to pre-conditions
which it used before signing the protocols and in fact blocked their
ratification in the Turkish parliament. This is the reason why the
President of Armenia decided to terminate ratification process till
Ankara will be ready to continue the process without pre-conditions
and this step was positively accepted by the world.

He reminded that normalization process started by the initiative of
the Armenian President.

"Despite many difficulties we started the process by the support of
Switzerland and signed the protocols without any pre-conditions.

Intermediary countries and worldwide society share our position",
said Nalbandyan.