Has the `reasonable term’ changed?
Armine AVETYAN | February 20, 2010
It seems that the `initiative policy’ of the Armenian government
related to the Armenia-Turkey relations comes to its end. The
government has almost taken all the necessary steps, including
inviting the Turkish President Abdullah Gul to the soccer match in
September 2008 and signing the Armenia-Turkey protocols. Now is the
time to solve the issue of ratifying or not ratifying the protocols.
At the end of the last week RA President Serzh Sargsyan sent to the NA
the protocols on Turkey-Armenia signed in Zurich on October 10, 2009.
A week after signing the protocols the Turkish government sent the
protocols for the discussion of the Turkish parliament. But the
parliament of that country hasn’t yet signed it. As the Turkish
officials have numerously stated they are waiting till there would be
certain progress in the resolution of the NKR conflict. But during
this period various RA officials of various levels have numerously
stated that Armenia waits for Turkey to ratify the protocols first.
For the ratification the Armenian side brings the deadline or
`reasonable timeframe’ April 24. However, most probably the standpoint
of the Armenian government has changed. At any rate, an RPA MP Rafik
Petrosyan stated yesterday that the deadline is March 4. Indeed,
Petrosyan didn’t bring this up on his own and expressed the attitude
of the RA government. Let us remember that the Foreign Relations
Committee of the US House of Representatives decided to vote for the
resolution 252 related to the Armenian Genocide. On the other hand,
the protocols are already in the parliament and according to the
legislation on international agreements they will be automatically
included in the big agenda of the upcoming NA session. And during the
last several days an opinion is heard that Armenia should itself take
certain steps in the direction of ratification and not just wait for
Turkey to ratify first. RA NA deputy-chairman Samvel Nikoyan finds it
convenient that the foreign relations committee starts to discuss
these protocols. And the president of the European Integration NGO
Karen Bekaryan thinks that there will be no problem if Armenia
ratifies the protocols first. Let us mention that often Karen
Bekaryan’s opinions match with the ones of the government. This means
that the government can no more keep back from their initiatives and
the adopted policies. And now Armenia should ratify those first to
embarrass Turkey. The second document that is being circulated in the
parliament is the bill sent by the government, which relates to the
changes in the RA legislation on international agreements. As a result
of the bill the RA President will have the power to cancel or annul
the procedures of adopting of international agreements. The President
will also have the power to assign the Foreign Affairs Minister to
inform the other side of the agreement of the cancellation of the
agreements. By the initiative of the government the RA President,
Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister and other relevant bodies may
come up with the initiative of the cancellation and annulment of
international agreements. Let us recall that on December 10 of the
last year, a month before the hearing of the protocols in the
Constitutional Court of Armenia during the meeting with the President
of Latvia Sargsyan stated that he had assigned the relevant bodies of
Armenia to prepare necessary revisions to the legislation relating to
international agreements and that he had already sent this initiative
to the NA. And so the government has complied with this assignment and
sent a legislative initiative to the NA. This should also be discussed
in the Foreign Relations Committee of the National Assembly. The other
bill relating to this issue is brought up by the Dashnaktsution
faction, why which they are suggesting that besides the RA President
the NA should also have the power to object international agreements.
The ARF has numerously stated that in the event of ratifying the
Armenian-Turkish protocols certain appendices should also be attached
to the protocols. And with the bill it is suggested that the NA should
also object and make initiatives to annul international agreements if
the RA President doesn’t do so. In the opinion of the Dashnaks this
bill will not only make Armenia flexible in foreign relations but will
also raise the role and importance of the National Assembly in the
international arena. As of the mere process of ratification of the
protocols then it won’t have obstacles in the parliament. The
parliamentary majority RPA together with its coalition counterparts,
the Legal State and Prosperous Armenia will vote for the protocols.
The Foreign Relations Committee will also give positive assessments to
the bill submitted by the government. Indeed, if later the authorities
do not decide that such a bill is not necessary. And the bill proposed
by the Dashnaktsutyun faction will be adopted if the government shows
good will. ARF MP Artsvik Minasyan thinks that their draft is mutually
beneficial for the government as well. But it is not excluded that the
government will not even discuss the proposed draft of their former
counterpart. In that case, as Minasyan says it is not excluded that
they will benefit from their right of parliamentary opposition and
will at least demand discussion of the bill in the extraordinary
manner. Let us mention that yesterday Rafik Petrosyan stated that the
protocols will be discussed in the upcoming third NA 4-day session.