March 31, 2011 - 15:02 AMT
Switzerland not desperate on Armenia-Turkey rapprochement

Despite Switzerland’s completing its mission as a mediator in Armenia-Turkey rapprochement process, official Bern is ready to make every possible effort to promote resumptions of Yerevan-Ankara talks, Swiss President said.

As Micheline Calmy-Rey told a news conference in Yerevan, Switzerland is far from “washing hands off the matter” and wishes progress in Armenian-Turkish normalization talks.

“We want the process to continue and are ready to take every effort to encourage the parties towards continuing a dialogue,” she said.

In 2009, through the mediation of Switzerland, Armenia's Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu signed the protocols envisaging normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations. However, on April 22, 2010, Armenian President signed a decree on suspension of Protocols ratification, because of Turkish party’s unreasonably delaying ratification of those documents in Turkish parliament.