The political week in Armenia started with a high-level meeting between the leaders of three traditional Armenian parties. Participating in the meeting were Chairman of the Social Democratic Hunchakian Party Central Executive Setrak Adjemian, Chairman of the Armenian Democratic Liberal (Ramgavar-Azatagan party) Central Executive Mike Kharabian and the ARF Dashnaktsoutiun Bureau Chairman Hrant Markarian, who discussed the current state of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations and other pan-Armenian issues.

This week President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan has not yet submitted the Armenian-Turkish Protocols to the Constitutional Court of Armenia. According to Spokesman of the Constitutional Court Hovhannes Papikyan it is yet unknown when the document will be submitted.

Earlier this week, various statements by Turkish and Azerbaijani MPs on the possibility of Turkey's co-chairmanship in the OSCE Minsk Group were discussed by Spokesman of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Eduard Sharmazanov, who told PanARMENIAN.Net that such statements "are conditioned by morbid imagination and stupidity of their authors". "The Armenian authorities will never agree to Turkey's co-chairmanship on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict regulation. It is our position and we are not going to change it," underlined the RPA spokesman. A similar view was expressed by another representative of the Republican Party of Armenia Lernik Alexanian. "Direct participation of Turkey in the works of the OSCE Minsk Group is excluded," declared Alexanian at a press conference in Yerevan.

In the middle of the week his view on the issue expressed also Leader of the National Neoconservative Movement of Armenia (NNM) Eduard Abrahamyan. "Baku's dream to see her "elder brother" Turkey as Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group is unrealistic," he told PanARMENIAN.Net and added that "change of the OSCE MG format depends not only on Azerbaijan but on Armenia as well."

Certain sharpness to the debate on the Armenian-Turkish Protocols was added by Director of the Armenian Center for Basic Sciences, Member of the Defense and National Security Commission of the Public Council Simon Kamsarakan, who addressed an open letter to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on the inconsistency between the Armenian and English versions of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols. Moreover, in his opinion, the Armenian version of the initialed Protocols differs substantially from the already signed Protocol, placed on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia. "A simple comparison of the texts makes it clear that this is not a result of inaccurate translation, but an obvious deception," noted Kamsarakan. Member of RA Public Council on Defense and National Security submitted another open letter to Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan, informing the Armenian FM that he has already requested Prosecutor General to institute an action against the Minister for violating the constitutional order and abusing his authority to the detriment of Armenia's national security and defense.

His stance to the Armenian-Turkish Protocols expressed also leader of the People's Party of Armenia Tigran Karapetyan. "We are opposed to the current process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations since Armenia does not conduct an independent policy, but determines her steps with Turkey's position," - leader of People's Party declared at a joint news conference in Yerevan. Karapetyan aldo noted that pro-opposition forces which do not actively oppose ratification of the Protocols, assist authorities some way or another. "First of all, I mean the Armenian National Congress (ANC), which is silent now," Karapetyan stressed.

However, some political scientists of Armenia favor early ratification by Armenia, without waiting for the decision of the Turkish Parliament. According to Head of the Analytical Center on Globalization and Regional Cooperation (ACGRC) Stepan Grigoryan, "Protracting the ratification process, Yerevan may provoke the inclusion of Karabakh issue into the talks with Ankara. In this case, Azerbaijan will receive additional time to exert pressure on Turkey on the issue of Karabakh." He added that Armenian MPs, representing coalition forces, in all probability have received a "signal" from the Government not to ratify the Protocols ahead of Turkish Parliament. Grigoryan believes that the Turkish side will ratify the documents as soon as the Protocols are approved and ratified by Armenia. Grigoryan also stressed that the border will be opened within terms envisaged in the Protocols.

Once again, his weighty opinion in this dispute expressed Head of the Armenian Delegation in OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Member of the parliamentary faction "Prosperous Armenia" Aram Safaryan. "National Assembly of Armenia will ratify the Protocols, after the Turkish Parliament. If the Turkish parliament ratifies the protocols without preconditions, the Armenian National Assembly will do the same. If Turkey sets preconditions and tries to link the process to Karabakh, the Armenian Parliament will do the same, Safaryan stated in an interview with the correspondent of PanARMENIAN.Net, stressing that such spirit prevails among Coalition MPs of Armenia.

A kind of neutrality expressed the Armenian National Congress, saying it would avoid a political extremism in the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement. During the meeting, ANC activist Ex-President Levon Ter-Petrosian reiterated that the ANC stands for normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations without preconditions. He described the current process of the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement as sensitive and requiring great responsibility both from the authorities and the opposition. He also noted that the ANC will continue to be guided by that awareness, avoiding reckless actions and political extremism.

In the mid-week youth wing activists of "Heritage" party and representatives of public organizations gathered near the Constitutional Court of Armenia to protest against Armenian-Turkish Protocols. Protest was attended by "Heritage" faction MP Zaruhi Postanjyan, representatives of Teghut group initiative and "Lawyers for Human Rights" NGO. Next day, on November 13, MP of the parliamentary faction of the Heritage Party Zaruhi Postanjyan issued a statement addressed to the Chief of Police, Alik Sargsyan, Attorney General Aghvan Hovsepyan and Ombudsman Armen Harutyunyan, claiming that on November 12 at the law enforcement bodies had exerted pressure on the protesters forcing them to move to the opposite sidewalk of Baghramyan Avenue. The MP also noted that after the protest action held before the Constitutional Court, the police hindered the protesters to enter the Presidential Residence with anti-Turkish posters.

Toward the end of the week the Armenian Government once again opposed the bill on recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic independence, initiated by the Heritage party. "At the moment recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic independence appears inexpedient to us," declared Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan, speaking at a regular meeting of the Government of Armenia.

On Friday, November 13, several political parties of Armenia made a statement, assessing the draft law on State budget for 2010. His concern about the declining funds on Armenian defense for 2010 expressed the party "Heritage". "The State Budget of 2010 will provide 116 billion drams to the Ministry of Defense of Armenia. In 2009 the indicator was 146 billion. In the current state of events, security issues should be given more attention," declared Chairman of the party Armen Martirosyan. He also criticized the cost reduction in social sphere. A similar assessment was made also by the ARF Dashnaktsutyun.

This week her diplomatic mission in Armenia completed Resident Coordinator of UN headquarters in Armenia Consuelo Vidal. The Armenian leadership thanked Consuelo Vidal for her four years of productive work and support programs aimed at Armenia's development. On the occasion of the completion of her diplomatic mission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia awarded Consuelo Vidal with a commemorative medal.