Turkey is to blame for the failure to advance in the normalization of ties with Armenia because the government of Recep Erdogan demands “impossible” pre-conditions, the Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian told the Buenos Aires Herald during a visit to the Argentine capital city.
“Our president attempted to normalize relations between our two countries. We agreed on two protocols to normalize our relations, including the establishment of diplomatic relations. Unfortunately, after the signing ceremony — which took place in Zurich in October, 2009 — the Turkish Parliament hasn’t been able to ratify and implement agreements and Turkey is now coming up with new pre-conditions,” Nalbandian said.
Nalbandian is part of the delegation that accompanied Armenia President Serzh Sargsyan to Argentina, where the two participated in the inauguration of the Museum of Armenian Genocide, the first of its kind outside Armenian borders. According to Nalbandian, the opening of the museum “is a very important step and we appreciated it very much, as well as the recognition of the genocide (by the Argentine government) through a special law.”
Why is it so important for Armenians that the international community acknowledges the genocide? “It was the first genocide of the 20th century. And unfortunately, the fact that it was not recognized by the international community at the time made it possible for other genocides to take place. So we feel a responsibility as a people who suffered the first genocide in the 20th century not to allow new crimes against humanity in the future,” Nalbandian responded.
Regarding Turkey’s refusal to acknowledge the scale of the killings, the Foreign Minister said that “it has less to do with the reparations that the Turkish state would have to pay to Armenian families (of victims), than with the fact that it is difficult to look at your own people in the eye and say: ‘we’ve been lying to you for 99 years.’”
Armenians around the world will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the massacre next year and Nalbandian said he was confident “that many countries in the world will express their solidarity to the Armenian people.”
