HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN: "ARMENIA IS READY TO ESTABLISH RELATIONS WITH TURKEY WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS"
ARMENPRESS
MAY 4, 2010
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS: "Armenia is ready to implement the assumed
international commitments but this readiness does not mean inferiority
of its own interests," chairman of the Armenian National Assembly
Hovik Abrahamyan said today during the 23d four-day conference of the
Francophonie Parliamentary Assembly of the European region. He reminded
that Armenia and Turkey signed in Zurich protocols on normalization of
relations and after their ratification in parliaments establishment
of diplomatic relations without preconditions and opening of borders
were supposed. "While Armenia has many times stated its readiness to
implement commitments, Turkey from the very beginning was evading,
bringing forth different reasons, stepping down from the words, linking
the protocols with the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process
delaying their ratification in the parliament. The forwarding of such
preconditions is unacceptable for Armenia. And the president of our
country signed a decree on suspending the protocols' ratification
procedure," Armenian NA speaker said, adding that Armenia is not
withdrawing itself from the process and our country is waiting for
constructive approach of Turkey.
Hovik Abrahamyan once again pointed out that the issue on the
recognition of the Armenian genocide cannot be auctioned. "Stating that
it is ready to establish relations with Turkey without preconditions,
Armenia at the same time is saying that it is devoted to its national
principles and will never make a step to harm the interests of the
Armenian people. Armenian authorities have many times stated that
our country has never put and will never put under doubt the fact of
the Genocide and the importance of its international recognition,"
Hovik Abrahamyan said.
Applying to the participants of the conference, the NA speaker
expressed wish that they view everything in an unbiased way,
irrespective of political sympathies and orientations.
He repeated again that the Nagorno Karabakh issue has no connection
with the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations not only
because there is not a word about it in the protocols and they are
separate processes but because in Zurich the protocols were signed
by Armenia and Turkey and not the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and
Azerbaijan.
Head of the European region of the Francophonie Parliamentary
Assembly Jan-Paul Wahl said they remember what happened in 1915 and
acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. "The future cannot be imagined
without evaluation of the past. As a consequence of the Armenian
genocide a great Armenian Diaspora exists in the world which is of
great significance in the political, cultural, scientific lives of
different countries," he said.
Jan-Paul Wahl also expressed conviction that in spite of what happened
in past between Armenia and Turkey, "the two countries will choose the
path of overcoming the historic taboos and normalization of relations."
ARMENPRESS
MAY 4, 2010
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS: "Armenia is ready to implement the assumed
international commitments but this readiness does not mean inferiority
of its own interests," chairman of the Armenian National Assembly
Hovik Abrahamyan said today during the 23d four-day conference of the
Francophonie Parliamentary Assembly of the European region. He reminded
that Armenia and Turkey signed in Zurich protocols on normalization of
relations and after their ratification in parliaments establishment
of diplomatic relations without preconditions and opening of borders
were supposed. "While Armenia has many times stated its readiness to
implement commitments, Turkey from the very beginning was evading,
bringing forth different reasons, stepping down from the words, linking
the protocols with the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process
delaying their ratification in the parliament. The forwarding of such
preconditions is unacceptable for Armenia. And the president of our
country signed a decree on suspending the protocols' ratification
procedure," Armenian NA speaker said, adding that Armenia is not
withdrawing itself from the process and our country is waiting for
constructive approach of Turkey.
Hovik Abrahamyan once again pointed out that the issue on the
recognition of the Armenian genocide cannot be auctioned. "Stating that
it is ready to establish relations with Turkey without preconditions,
Armenia at the same time is saying that it is devoted to its national
principles and will never make a step to harm the interests of the
Armenian people. Armenian authorities have many times stated that
our country has never put and will never put under doubt the fact of
the Genocide and the importance of its international recognition,"
Hovik Abrahamyan said.
Applying to the participants of the conference, the NA speaker
expressed wish that they view everything in an unbiased way,
irrespective of political sympathies and orientations.
He repeated again that the Nagorno Karabakh issue has no connection
with the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations not only
because there is not a word about it in the protocols and they are
separate processes but because in Zurich the protocols were signed
by Armenia and Turkey and not the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and
Azerbaijan.
Head of the European region of the Francophonie Parliamentary
Assembly Jan-Paul Wahl said they remember what happened in 1915 and
acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. "The future cannot be imagined
without evaluation of the past. As a consequence of the Armenian
genocide a great Armenian Diaspora exists in the world which is of
great significance in the political, cultural, scientific lives of
different countries," he said.
Jan-Paul Wahl also expressed conviction that in spite of what happened
in past between Armenia and Turkey, "the two countries will choose the
path of overcoming the historic taboos and normalization of relations."