Not only Armenia, but also the entire world, especially the three OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing states – the United States, Russia and France – are deny any link between the Armenia-Turkey reconciliation and the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian stated at his meeting with Turkish journalists.

According to him, linking the two processes would endanger both. “Ironically, we should expect good will to be shown because, I would like to remind you, both Armenia and Azerbaijan have shown good will this year. Nine Armenian-Azerbaijani presidential meetings have been held. They would not have been held but for the good will,” Minister Nalbandian said.

The Minister reminded the Turkish journalists that a joint statement by 56 nations was made public at the OSCE Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Athens, and Azerbaijan put its signature to the statement as well. The document points put positive dynamics in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. “That is, if Turkey really wants to facilitate the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, I think – and it has repeatedly been stated – it would do right if it did not interfere in the peace process, because interfering hinders more than it helps. If they do not want create impediments to the Armenia-Turkey reconciliation or Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, they should not lay any claims or set any preconditions. Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are the interested parties, and I would even say the most interested parties, seeking an early peaceful settlement of the conflict by means of negotiations,” Minister Nalbandian said.

He expressed regret that the Turkish journalists have an impression of two parallel processes. “If there were any precondition involving Nagorno-Karabakh, if there were any such dependence, which was written by your press and you before the protocols were made public – and many journalists here, in Armenia, used to refer to your articles and say: ‘You see, there is a link with the Nagorno-Karabakh problem’ – the process would not have got under way. The process got under way with the sides understanding that there was not any such dependence. After the protocols were made public, some people, with a magnifying glass in their hands, tried to find a link with Karabakh. After they failed to find anything suspicious, they stated at the highest level that the protocols did not contain any preconditions. So what dependence are we talking about?” stated minister Nalbandian. The Armenian FM pointed out that Armenia has as many reasons for speaking about preconditions or links.

T.P.