Armenia never ratify Protocols the first

February 18, 2010 - 17:30 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net -
To avoid pressure of the international community on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, Armenia can ratify the Armenian-Turkish Protocols the first, head of Heritage parliamentary group Stepan Safaryan told a joint press conference with RPA MP Karen Avagyan in Yerevan.

According to Safaryan, earlier MPs from RPA group Rafik Petrosyan and Samvel Nikoyan said, that the Armenian leadership is liable to ratify the Protocols the first.

According to Karen Avagyan , his colleagues from RPA expressed their opinions, but not the position of country's leadership. "Armenia will never ratify the Protocols before Turkey does. If it turns out that Turkey artificially delays the ratification, Armenia will suspend the process," he said.

"In my opinion, if Turkey doesl not ratify Protocols by 24 April, then Armenia will suspend the process,”Karen Avagyan said.

“f Protocols do not contradict the interests of Armenia, why the Armenian leadership establish a schedule for their ratification? The Armenian authorities understand, these documents do not meet the interests of our country; concurrently to delaying ratification process, Turkey more speculates on the Armenian Genocide and Artsakh problem," he said.

The Armenian-Turkish Protocols

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks held through Swiss mediation.

On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country’s Organic Law.

Commenting on the CC ruling, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “it contains preconditions and restrictive provisions which impair the letter and spirit of the Protocols.” ”The decision undermines the very reason for negotiating these Protocols as well as their fundamental objective. This approach cannot be accepted on our part. Turkey, in line with its accustomed allegiance to its international commitments, maintains its adherence to the primary provisions of these Protocols. We expect the same allegiance from the Armenian government,” the Ministry said.