Nalbandian; Armenia will never question the fact of Armenian genocide
06.07.2015,
21:29
Armenia will never question the fact of the Armenian Genocide, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said in an interview with Brazilian newspaper "Estadao" in comments on the current state of relations between Yerevan and Ankara.
YEREVAN, July 6. / ARKA /. Armenia will never question the fact of the Armenian Genocide, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said in an interview with Brazilian newspaper "Estadao" in comments on the current state of relations between Yerevan and Ankara.
According to him, sooner or later Armenia and Turkey will turn over the current page in their bilateral relations.
"But not by the policy of denial. It is clear that Armenia will never put under question the fact of the Armenian Genocide and the importance of its international recognition. See how many countries and international organizations have recognized the Armenian Genocide, while Turkey is trying to show that what happened was not genocide," said Nalbandian.
Turkey and Armenia have had no diplomatic ties since Armenia became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in a show of support for its ally, Azerbaijan, which had a dispute with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, the ethnic Armenian enclave of Azerbaijan.
There are several sensitive issues complicating the establishment of normal relations between the two countries, particularly Ankara’s blatant support of Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution process and Turkey’s refusal to acknowledge the mass killings of Armenians the Ottoman Empire as genocide.
The thaw in relations between the two countries began in 2008 at the Armenian president's initiative. In 2009 October 10 Armenia and Turkey signed "Protocol on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations" and "Protocol on the Development of Bilateral Relations" in Zurich which were to be ratified by the parliaments of both countries.
However, on 22 April 2010, the President of Armenia signed a decree suspending the ratification of the protocols, stating that Turkey was not ready to continue the process. On January 16 , 2015 President Sargsyan recalled the protocols from parliament. -0-
According to him, sooner or later Armenia and Turkey will turn over the current page in their bilateral relations.
"But not by the policy of denial. It is clear that Armenia will never put under question the fact of the Armenian Genocide and the importance of its international recognition. See how many countries and international organizations have recognized the Armenian Genocide, while Turkey is trying to show that what happened was not genocide," said Nalbandian.
Turkey and Armenia have had no diplomatic ties since Armenia became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in a show of support for its ally, Azerbaijan, which had a dispute with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, the ethnic Armenian enclave of Azerbaijan.
There are several sensitive issues complicating the establishment of normal relations between the two countries, particularly Ankara’s blatant support of Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution process and Turkey’s refusal to acknowledge the mass killings of Armenians the Ottoman Empire as genocide.
The thaw in relations between the two countries began in 2008 at the Armenian president's initiative. In 2009 October 10 Armenia and Turkey signed "Protocol on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations" and "Protocol on the Development of Bilateral Relations" in Zurich which were to be ratified by the parliaments of both countries.
However, on 22 April 2010, the President of Armenia signed a decree suspending the ratification of the protocols, stating that Turkey was not ready to continue the process. On January 16 , 2015 President Sargsyan recalled the protocols from parliament. -0-
