Armenia ready to normalise relations with Turkey – Armen Grigoryan

Panorama, Armenia
Sept 24 2021

"We believe that one of the opportunities to normalise relations with Turkey is through high-level talks. We have announced at different political levels that Armenia is ready to normalise relations with Turkey," the Secretary of the National Security Council Armen Grigoryan said at a briefing in the parliament on Friday.

In Grigoryan's words, normalizing relations with Turkey should be separated from relations with Azerbaijan and take place without any preconditions that has been the case during the past authorities. 

"We hope the normalisation of relations will take place without preconditions and to start a dialogue without preconditions, while all pending issues could be discussed," said Grigoryan, adding preconditions may hinder the dialogue. 

Speaking of the Artsakh issue, Grigoryan noted that the OSCE Mink Group remains the main and the only platform for resolving the issue. The  NSC Secretary reminded that all three co-chairmen had called for resumption of the talks under the auspices of the Minsk Group to discuss the status. 

"The Artsakh issue is not resolved and its status is yet to be addressed. We see its settlement under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group," said Grigoryan, adding the conflict has always been about the right to self-determination but not a territorial dispute. 

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS