“We hope that the process is not dead, but suspended. And as it was said very clearly we will be ready to move forward if there is again a partner in Turkey ready to move forward with the normalization without any preconditions,” Armenian FM Edward Nalbandyan told Austrian “Profil” magazine.
Armenian FM underscored Armenian approach fully coincides with the position of the international community- ratification and implementation of the agreements without preconditions and within a reasonable timeframe.
“With this common understanding we have started, conducted this process and came to the agreements. And in the protocols there are no preconditions.”
To the question that Turkey on his part claims that Armenia is blocking the rapprochement, hence who is responsible then, E. Nalbandyan answered:
“Turkey is trying to find baseless reasons for protracting the process, independent of its logic. At what point Armenia blocked normalization? No one could point out. All the Armenian steps on normalization process were commended by the whole international community. Even the decision on suspension of the ratification process was met by understanding and applauded.”
According to media reports, the most important reason for the suspension of the negotiations with Turkey is the conflict over Nagorno Karabakh.
Armenian FM said the main and only reason for the suspension of the process is resumption of the Turkish attempt to link the normalization of relations with other issues.
“After the signing of the protocols, Turkey backtracked and started again to speak in the language of preconditions, for instance attempting to link the Armenian-Turkish normalization process to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution. Not only Armenia, but also the mediators, supporters of this process, the whole international community, have publicly made it clear that Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution has no linkage to the Armenian-Turkish normalization process. And that such a linkage could damage both processes,” Armenian FM declared.