SARKISIAN CHIDES BAKU, ANKARA ON KARABAKH AND PROTOCOLS
asbarez
Tuesday, August 30th, 2011
President Sarkisian with Foreign Minister Nalbandian during Tuesday’s
beriefing with Armenia’s diplomatic corps
YEREVAN-President Serzh Sarkisian on Tuesday scolded both Baku and
Ankara for their respective uncooperative position on the resolution
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and prolonging the Turkey-Armenia
protocol process.
“I’m sure many of you share the opinion that Baku is not ready for
peace, since it’s impossible to establish peace by propagating war,
to reconcile societies by spreading hatred toward Armenians, to build
trust by instigating an arms race,” said Sarkisian who was speaking
at a meeting of Armenia’s diplomatic corps at the foreign ministry.
“Such behavior by Azerbaijan is unacceptable, and our response will be
appropriate. Rest assured that in case of new military action, Armenia
will not hesitate to impose peace on the rivals,” added Sarkisian.
On the protocols, Sarkisian highlighted that Turkey reneged on its
promise to sign the protocols that established diplomatic relations
between the two countries without any preconditions.
“The Turkish side needs to understand that the protocols are not an
open-ended and perpetual opportunity. Many of our friends advised us
to wait until the parliamentary elections in Turkey. Thus, during
the coming months we’ll see whether there are changes in Turkey,
although the past two months do not inspire optimism. Only afterward
we’ll decide on our future steps,” said Sarkisian.
Last week, the new Turkish parliament had not included the issue of
the protocols on its legislative agenda.
The president said Armenia remains committed to normalizing relations
with Turkey without preconditions.
In discussing the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Sarkisian singled out the
example of South Sudan, which through a popular referendum declared
independence that was hailed by the international community.
“This year we witnessed Southern Sudan gain independence after decades
of struggle, enriching the world with the realization of people’s
right self-determination,” said Sarkisian, adding that a similar
outcome is inevitable for Artsakh.
“When we say that the approaches of the international community on
the Karabakh issue overlap with the official position of Armenia,
it’s not a propaganda trick. Thanks to our clear-cut position and
our willingness to take responsibility, the international community
has come to accept that our approaches are more realistic and peaceful.
This is evident in recent high-level statements on Nagorno Karabakh.
It’s also clear to whom the messages they contain are addressed,”
added Sarkisian.
The president also reiterated earlier statement that while Armenia
and themediating countries were prepare to advance the negotiations
in Kazan, Russia earlier this summer, it was Azerbaijan that created
obstacles in furthering the process.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
