Armenia Leaves Negotiation Process with Turkey

The president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan signned the decree which suspended ratification procedure of Armenian-Turkish treaties in the parliament of the country, the press-service of the head of the state informed on Thursday.

"The president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan signed the decree about suspension of procedure of ratification of "Treaty on Establishment of Diplomatic Relations" and "Treaty on Development of Mutual Relations" signed on October, 10^th, 2010 in Zurich. The presidential decree entrusted the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Armenia to inform Turkey about suspension of ratification of treaties", - is stated in the message.

The Republican Party which the president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan enters and also parties "Prospering Armenia" and "Legal Country" in their incorporated reference declared that Turkey lays down impracticable conditions for renewal of diplomatic relations. The problem of Nagorny Karabah which Armenia took under control by force in 1993 became a stumbling-block at a present stage of peace process.

"Process of normalisation of relations between Armenia and Turkey initiated and consistently carried out by Armenia within last year came up destructive position of Turkey and actual unwillingness of official Ankara to normalise relations and to open the border closed since 1993", - semi-official "News of Armenia" writes. 

"I think within next few days we will be witnesses of hysterical reaction of Turkey, attempts to shuffle all the blame on to Armenia. This thesis will be developed further. However all attempts to accuse Armenia of breaking up of Armenian-Turkish process are initially doomed to failure as all civilised world see readiness of Armenia to carry out of obligations which is ot observed from the part of Turkey", - the semi-official organ refers to the words of one of local political scientists.

Reaction of Turkey is much reserved. Prime minister Redzhep Tajip Erdogan at press conference in Ankara noted that despite of position of the Armenian members of parliament Turkey is ready to ratify treaties with Armenia. "We repeatedly expressed our intention to put these treaties into practice. We do not refuse the words being said, we still want that it happen", - BBC transfers the words of Erdogan.

- Actually, Armenia is the main interested part in unbloking of borders with Turkey, - editor-in-chief of FORUM.msk Anatoly Baranov noted. - Hysterical reaction of the Armenian semi-official organ in this case, probably, is needed to cover quiting of negotiation process of interested party seeming illogical. We will agree that 75-million Turkey receives nothing from tiny Armenia which produces nothing except Armenians. All bonus for Turkish republic is purely moral as accusation of Turkish people in genocide of Armenians 95 years ago hangs like a sword of Damocles and normalisation of relations with today's Armenia without severe condition of confession of genocide gives Ankara some political pluses. Actually, Yerevan tries to "sell" it influencing public opinion of the European countries through mullions-strong diaspora. However today reputation problem is not the main which Turkey faces after refusal in membership in EU. For it's much more important for it, for example, relations in Turkic-speacking world, in particular with Azerbaijan - 9 million alive Azerbaijanians obviously outweigh 1,5 million Armenians who dies in 1915 year. And the problem of Nagorny Karabah which Armenia not simply occupied but where it carried out quite real genocide of the Azerbaijan population - there are no Azerbaijanians there in general now - represents for Turkey serious problem in relations with friendly Azerbaijan.

"The question is, of course, in relation of Russia to the given situation, - Anatoly Baranov continues. - By and large, Armenia is the only Caucasian partner of Russia which has no escape from this partnership.Let's not cherish illusiona - if they can do something, they will. Quite limitrophe state, not capable to live independently, Armenia on the one hand depends on Russia, on the other - it's abundantly clear is weighed upon such dependence. Real relation of the Armenians to the Russian and Russia we saw in the late eighties and the beginning of 90s - yes, Russia feeds Armenia but feeds little and badly. It's silly to wait for some gratitude. Whether they should thank the Russian oligarchs who already bought up at low price everything that represents something valuable in Armenia? What profit could simple Russian and Armenians get from the fact that our oligarchs own there something? These are partner relations, at that it's a burden to both sides, tbut there's no way out. Negotiations with Turkey is just an attempt if not to escape from Russia then to run off a little, to weaken a lead. But - they failed and they are guilty themselves. They didn't want to refuse from the version of genocide of 1915 and Karabah of 1993. It means "elite" is happy with existing status quo. Opinion of ordinary citizens is not traditionally not interesting - the USSR was destroyed not for that purpose. The Armenians had voice and now - who are they?"

Now the Russian in Armenia is the smallest diaspora of the Russians in the CIS countries, about 15 thousand people or 0,5% of the population of republic.

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