YEREVAN (Combined Sources)–The internationally backed efforts to normalize relations between Armenia and Turkey could end in failure soon, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said on Friday, accusing Ankara of obstructing the process with preconditions and “artificial” claims.
“If Turkey is not ready to ratify the [Turkish-Armenian] protocols, if it continues, as it has until now, to speak in the language of preconditions, make some linkages and obstruct progress in this process, then of course I don’t exclude it,” Nalbandian told a news conference.
But he added: “Nobody can say for certain that a particular process will end in one or another way. Generally speaking, I don’t like making that kind of predictions.”
Turkish leaders said this week that Armenia itself set preconditions for normalizing bilateral relations with an interpretation of the protocols that was made by its Constitutional Court this month. They specifically referred to the court’s view that the protocols can have no legal implications for the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process or stop Yerevan from seeking greater international recognition of the Armenian genocide. Ankara claims this runs counter to the letter and spirit of the documents signed in October.
Nalbandian dismissed the Turkish claims as “nonsense.” “To say that Armenia is dragging out the ratification process is also nonsense,” he said. “We hope that the Turks will not try to cite artificial excuses for not ratifying these protocols.” The Armenian side remains committed to their speedy and unconditional implementation, he added.
“Guided by the initiative of the President of the Republic of Armenia to establish relations with Turkey without preconditions, intensive talks were held with the Turkish side and protocols on normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations were signed in Zurich on October10,” Nalbandian said.
Nalbandian passed a similar message to Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in a phone conversation on Wednesday. Davutoglu described as “totally baseless” his claims that Ankara has thwarted any progress towards the protocols’ endorsement by the Turkish parliament.
Speaking at a news conference in Ankara on Friday, Davutoglu insisted that the Armenian court ruling “is against the letter and spirit of the protocols.” “Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian told me in a telephone conversation that the ruling did not affect previously agreed points in the protocols. But we expect a clearer picture, explanation over this,” he said, according to AFP news agency.
President Serzh Sarkisian said last month that Armenia will walk away from the deal if the Turks fail to validate it “within a reasonable timeframe.” But neither he, nor other Armenian officials have set more precise deadlines for Turkish ratification yet.
In Nalbandian’s words, Yerevan is confident that the international community would blame Turkey, rather than Armenia, for the possible collapse of the process.
“Today Armenia appears to the world as a predictable and reliable partner, whose approaches are comprehended and appreciated,” Nalbandian said, adding that key international players and centers of power respect Armenia for its “proven reliability on both regional and international levels.”
To bolster his position, Nablandian said his Ministry took big steps in 2009 to deepen and reinforce Armenia’s cooperation with partner countries. “Armenia followed its policy of European integration both in bilateral format and within the framework of European structures. Our country jointed the EU Eastern Partnership Program,” Nalbandian said.
“Armenia also played an active role in the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization and the Eurasian Economic Community,” he said. “Our country was consistent in implementing the Individual Partnership Action Plan with NATO and expanded its participation in international peacekeeping activity.”
“A number of reciprocal visits, political consultations, meetings and other events took place last year; about 100 international agreements were concluded. The Armenian President made 22 foreign visits and the presidents of eight countries visited Armenia,” he added.
According to the Foreign Minister, the diplomatic activism of his ministry has “created favorable conditions for the development of the republic, presented Armenia’s positions on the international arena, raised the effectiveness of the defense of rights of the Republic and its citizens abroad, and deepened Armenia’s involvement in international organizations and processes.”
Nalbandian said he believed that these steps have gained greater support for Armenia’s position in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “For the first time, the right of peoples to self-determination was mentioned in the statement of the OSCE Ministerial as an indispensable principle of settlement, a number of international documents stressed the importance of the principle of non-use of force or threat of force,” he said.
Our government of Armenia should take under consideration Turkey’s mastermind political influences and schemes beforehand. On one finger it spins U.S. government the way it wants to and on the other finger spins Russian government, specially during (USSR)
Armenia’s Constitutional court, unlike Turkey’s, is an independant and seperate governmental body.
In the Maubery v. Maddison style, it has the responsiblity to interpret the language in the protocols and make a determination as to Constitutionality. It has spoken and it has become law.
Namely, any treaty, protocol or agreement with a foriegn cannot contradict or conflict with Armenia’s Declaration of Independance and Constitution.
A message to the Turks: “Clean your house first, without sweeping the blood under your Turkish carpet, and then point fingers.”
Nalbandian is a typical Soviet-trained bureaucrat. In order to create an illusion of legitimacy for Serjik’s regime, he presents superfluous figures of visits, meetings, and agreements. Has any informed reader ever seen that a foreign minister (or a secretary of state) trumpet to the world as to how many ‘reciprocal visits, political consultations, meetings and other events’ took place in a given year? Isn’t it what the foreign minister or a president, by definition, by the routine nature of their work, are supposed to do? Aren’t international treaties or participation in international structures a part of routine functions performed by any foreign minister? Who is Nalbandian trying to fool with this bravado? His presentation of numbers is just a part of government-backing efforts, the government that is unelected, incapable, and highly unpopular. There is ONE function that Nalbandian intentionally overlooked and that overshadows the number of his foreign visits or agreements: the signing of capitulating, anti-Armenian, and treasonous protocols with Turkey – a major foreign policy failure that ignited the rage of the prevailing majority of his own citizens in Armenia and Armenians in the Diaspora. Protocols are dead? Let them go Hell.
One thing i know The protest should continue against the shameful protocols both sides are deceiving their people
Turkere Protocole Chen Uzum, Aveli Lav Togh Protocoli het “Jahaname” Ghnan
Although I knew Armenia’s foreign policy management was pretty good, I never realized just how good they were until the political developments of the last year and a half. They have played the geopolitical game brilliantly. Bravo!
What the hell are you talking about???
Me robe Avetis, inch es dzeghoom?
Dzavet Danem.
Yes, protocols are forgotten by the rest of the world. No serious country expects anymore Armenia or Turkey ratifying them. HOPEFULLY, ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT AND PARLIAMENT DON’T WANT TO MAKE THE WORLD LAUGHING ON ARMENIAN WISDOM! Armenian Diaspora (all three traditional parties) together made gigantic efforts to pause the process. The final stage is to prevent its ratification, will take even stronger consolidation. We stay united!
Unfortunately, Armenian CC missed an opportunity to not only to rule out completely the Protocol on sub-commissions, but to come forward with a recommendation. For instance, that any international interaction of Armenia should be scrutinized under the article of the Armenian Genocide. Including, accepting accreditation of foreign diplomats, and offices.
I understand that Serzh and his team of Traitors in power are NOT ignorant about the Protocol. I also believe that, they don’t mind being laughed at by the world! Because they simply sold-out Armenia and every (usseee ussav) is just a stage.
Well, this is what I was greatly hoping and praying for. For this luminous day that the protocols will end up in the garbage, the bin. Thank God!!!! I say united our three parties in the Diaspora and the people in both Armenia and Diaspora should continue to vehemently raise their voices against the protocols.
Now I don’t know whether Serjik and Nalbandian played the geopolitical game brilliantly, they may have and if they did, I must give it to them. I’ll say my bravo to them at the end. And I hope the end will come very very soon of the thrashing time of the protocols.
To Avetis: Exactly what is the ‘brilliance’ of Armenia’s foreign policy management of the last year and a half? That a Russian citizen, a member of Russian intelligence structures has been appointed Armenia’s foreign minister? Do you think it contributes to strengthening of Armenia’s independent statehood? Or that your unelected president, as a puppet, carries on whatever he’s instructed to do from Moscow, as with shameful and treasonous protocols? Carrying on instructions from a third country does not, by any measure, means that Armenia has ‘played’ geopolitical game. Simply because, first and foremost, it is not Armenia’s game. Armenian ruling regime is just being used as a small tool for the political games of other, more powerful forces, as was demonstrated by the signing of the protocols. Had it been for Armenia’s game only, there wouldn’t have been any protocols at all, or if there were, the language contained in them would have been limited to a single phrase: ‘The governments of Turkey and Armenia hereby agree to establish diplomatic relations and open common border.’ PERIOD. But since the language clearly contains Turkish preconditions, then I guess my question is what is so good about Armenia’s foreign policy management? The prevailing majority of foreign policy analysts, international relations experts, historians, genocide scholars, and intellectuals agree that protocols were a major, and disgraceful, foreign policy failure. And people like you can shout ’Bravo’ to the ruling clique, but regardless of that, the regime will not become more elected, more representative, more accountable to the people, more professional and capable. But you may shout ‘Bravo’ and have fun…
To Avetis: Your very notion of ‘Armenia’s foreign policy management’ made me burst in laugh, my friend. How can Armenia manage its foreign policy in regard to defeatist protocols, if your foreign minister, a Russian citizen, by the way, was made submissive to singing them? Don’t you know that Serjik’s and Edik’s foreign policy is managed from the outside? So, I guess, my question is how is it possible for them to play any geopolitical game, and ‘brilliantly’(?!) so, if the game itself, and I refer to the humiliating protocols, is not essentially Serjik’s regime, but that of Russia, the U.S., and the EU? Don’t you think that Serjik and his foreign minister are just pawns, not managers, in this game? How short-sighted people like you might be. Ugh…
Abres Ashot. Gardzoom em mer Avetise mi kich shad e ghemoom.
Might be. Serjik helps Aliev to get reelected in 2010, so that Aliev will help Serjik to get reelected in 2012(?). Russians are conducting the trade.
As to us: there is a time to collect the stones, there is a time to through the stones. I think we just started collecting the stones. Because the presidential elections are comming. Because the year of 2015 is coming.