Shahan Kandaharian: “According to the President, Turkey has opposed European values”

In response to Noyan Tapan’s request to interpret the part of the speech of President of the Republic of Armenia in Munich that was related to Armenia-Turkey relations, Editor-in-Chief of Lebanon’s Aztag Daily Shahan Kandaharian stated the following:

“The part of the speech of the President of the Republic of Armenia in Munich that was related to Yerevan-Ankara relations is a prelude to annulment of the Protocols in which there is marked consistency. The speech in Munich is the last milestone after the reservations enshrined by the Constitutional Court and following the speech about removing them from the parliament’s agenda and calling them back, damning the Protocols and annulling them before spring.

I also believe the President fully used the political language for speaking with Europe or with the international community, for that matter. In simple terms, the President said that, contrary to Yerevan’s initiative, all efforts and even the sharp sensitivity of a major sector of the Armenian nation, Ankara has not paid heed to the actions of the international family and the Armenian party.

As in the process of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, here Azerbaijan and Turkey are presented as the party inhibiting the peace process or the normalization of relations.

What is also important is the fact that the President affirms that the conditions have changed and there is a need for a new document for the establishment of relations with Turkey. That is to say, due to Turkey’s behavior, the Protocols were not implemented, and therefore, Yerevan is ready to launch a new process of normalization of relations based on new documents to be developed.

According to the President, Turkey has opposed European values – it has closed the border, blocked our Republic, continued its policy of preconditions and has not ratified the Protocols. Even in these conditions, Yerevan, indicating annulment of the Protocols, expresses willingness to restart the negotiations, but on the basis of a new document in which there must not be legal provisions stating preconditions.

I believe the approach of showing that Turkey is against the system of values of politics in Europe worked out completely.”

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