Armenia’s signature under protocols pleases West – ARFD member

Armenia’s signature under protocols pleases West – ARFD member

PanARMENIAN.Net - The only benefit Armenia may reap from refusal to withdraw signature from protocols with Turkey is pleasing some of its western friends who insist on continuing ratification process, according to ARF Dashnaktsutyun Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office Director.

At news conference in Yerevan, Kiro Manoyan urged to discontinue the process as detrimental to Armenia’s national interests.

Dwelling on Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s statement suggesting frozen Armenia-Turkey ties are hard to thaw, Manoyan questioned, “why did Turkey sign protocols if normalizing ties with Armenia was such a hard task to accomplish?”

“Turkey is the only party to benefit from retaining protocols in their current state,” the expert stressed.

The protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of the common 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.

In August 2011, the protocols were removed from the agenda but later were brought back again.

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