January 21, 2010 - 18:49 AMT
Eduard Abrahamyan: Policy can't be built on bare trust
Different though in phrasing, statements of both Russian Premier and Foreign Minister supported the idea of RA-Turkey rapprochement and Karabakh conflict settlement issues having to be resolved separately, chairman of Neo-conservative Movement of Armenia, Eduard Abrahamyan said, commenting on the statements of Vladimir Putin and Sergey Lavrov.

"Washington, as well as Moscow, adheres to the idea of resolving the two issues separately. We have only to believe in the truthfulness of those statements, yet policy can't be built on bare trust. Best criterions for political statements are actions, fortifying those statements," NMA chairman told PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks held through Swiss mediation.

On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country's Organic Law.

The Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) is a de facto independent republic located in the South Caucasus, bordering by Azerbaijan to the north and east, Iran to the south, and Armenia to the west.

After the Soviet Union established control over the area, in 1923 it formed the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) within the Azerbaijan SSR. In the final years of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan launched an ethnic cleansing which resulted in the Karabakh War that was fought from 1991 to 1994.

Since the ceasefire in 1994, most of Nagorno Karabakh and several regions of Azerbaijan around it (the security zone) remain under the control of Nagorno Karabakh defense army.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have since been holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group.