Heritage requires holding 12 parliamentary hearings on Protocols

February 17, 2010 - 19:17 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net -
Heritage demands to discuss the Armenian-Turkish Protocols not only in one NA committee, but in all 12 standing committees and to hold parliamentary hearings based on the conclusions of each committee, Larisa Alaverdyan , secretary of Heritage parliamentary group told a press conference in Yerevan.

According Alaverdyan, the chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Defense, Interior and National Security Hrayr Karapetyan positively reacted to that proposal of Heritage.

Although the international community at the moment, does not link the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement with the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, this does not mean that in the future, their position remains the same. "The protocols have items allowing Turkey, if not now, but tomorrow to raise the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh problem. We need to take into account one thing: Turkey will never leave the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, " - Larisa Alaverdyan stressed.

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.

Heritage

Founded in 2002, Heritage a National Liberal Party, is national by its roots, liberal in its economic principle, and an advocate of the democratic system of governance and due process for its citizens. The party’s objective is the development of Armenia as a democratic, lawful, and rights-based country that anchors its domestic and foreign policies in the nation’s sovereign interest. During the party’s Third Congress on May 30, 2005, Raffi K. Hovannisian was elected chairman. The other eight members of the party board were elected by secret vote. Since 2009, the party chairman is Armen Martirosyan.