Interfax, Russia
Jan 22 2010
Normalization talks could fail if Turkey does not change its policies
– Armenian official (Part 2)
YEREVAN Jan 22
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian has said he does not rule
out that negotiations between his country and Turkey could end in a
failure.
"If Turkey is not ready to ratify the protocols, if it continues to
use the language of ultimatums, to set preconditions and to obstruct
the process, I do not rule out that our talks will be disrupted.
Although I do not want to make any predictions, I do not rule out any
possibilities," Nalbandian said at a news conference on Friday.
"I do not think that the international community will understand
Turkey’s attempts to shoulder the blame for the failed [negotiating]
process onto Armenia," the minister said.
"It is ridiculous to insist" that Armenia is dragging out the
normalization process with Turkey because Turkey itself has not made
any progress in the issue since October 2009, he said.
"We hope that Turkey will stay committed to the true letter and spirit
of the protocols and its obligations, and that it will agree to ratify
[the protocols] without any preconditions," Nalbandian said.
Armenia is ready to ratify these protocols without any preconditions,
the minister said.
All remarks made by Turkey that a ruling recently issued by the
Armenian Constitutional Court allegedly contains preconditions are
inappropriate and untrue, he said.