Armenian FM: We will never question either the fact of the Armenian
Genocide or the importance of its international condemnation and
recognition
by Karina Manukyan
Saturday, March 14, 15:17
“We will never question either the fact of the Armenian Genocide or
the importance of its international condemnation and recognition,”
Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian said in an interview
with Dnevnik Daily,Slovenia.
Asked about the Armenian0Turkish protocols, Nalbandian recalled that
Turkey has returned to the language of preconditions, trying to link
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement with Armenia-Turkey
normalization. Meanwhile, many countries condemn the attempts to link
the two issues saying it could harm both the processes. One of the
old Turkish preconditions, reanimated after Zurich, was related to the
Armenian Genocide recognition. “But Armenia has repeatedly said and
insisted: we will never question the reality of the Armenian Genocide
and the importance of its international recognition and condemnation,”
the minister said.
“Unfortunately, Turkey did not have courage and wisdom to ratify and
implement agreed and signed protocols. So this is not about waiting
for anybody to play a role to push forward normalization of relations
between Armenia and Turkey. First of all, Turkey has to reconsider
what it has done wrong. Back then I had warned that with this approach
of Turkey, their proclaimed policy of “zero problems with neighbors”
would turn into “zero neighbor without problems”. Nowadays everyone is
reaffirming this view,” the minister said.
To note, on Feb 16 President Serzh Sargsyan addressed a letter to the
President of the RA National Assembly Galust Sahakyan, informing him
about his decision to recall the Armenian-Turkish Protocols from the
RA NA. The Armenian President’s press service quotes Sargsyan as
saying, “It is already six years since the Armenia-Turkey Protocols
were signed. During the entire period, Armenia has always demonstrated
a consistent approach in bringing the protocols to life. However, we
have to state the lack of Turkish authorities’ political will, the
distortion of the letter and spirit of the protocols and the
continuous stimulation of preconditions. Simultaneously, as the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide approaches, the policy of
negationism and historical revisionism is gaining new momentum. I have
spoken many times about the non-inexhaustibility of time, including
from the podium of the UN General Assembly in September 2014. I repent
that the Turkish leadership failed to listen to Armenia’s exhortation.
Hence, I have made a decision to recall from the National Assembly of
the Republic of Armenia, the Protocol on the Establishment of
Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic
of Turkey and the Protocol on Development of Relations between the
Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Turkey which were signed on
the 10th of October of 2009 in Zurich.”