Davit Shahnazaryan: Russia and Turkey held a kind of exchange

February 18, 2010 - 18:43 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net -
Armenian-Turkish raproachment shifted from the logic of settlement to the logic of confrontation, Davit Shahnazaryan, representative of Armenian National Congress (ANC) told a press conference in Yerevan.

According Shahnazaryan, the international community obliges Armenia to ratify the Protocols the first. "Earlier representatives of Republican Party of Armenia expressed the intention of the ruling party to ratify the Protocols the first," he said.

The Armenian-Turkish rapprochement was started by Russia, not Armenia. Russia needed the signing of protocols, but not opening of Armenia-Turkey border, and Russia was very active before the signing of these documents, the ANC representative said.

Multi-layered relationships exist between Russia and Turkey, along with the signing of the protocols a certain exchange took place at the expense of Armenia’ interests. "For instance, Turkey has received Armenia’ agreement to establish an intergovernmental subcommittee on historical issues, Turkey had dreamed for a long time", Davit Shahnazaryan 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.