The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) issued a statement on January 13, wherein it addressed the RA Constitutional Court’s verdict confirming the constitutionality of the Armenian-Turkish protocols. Although the Constitutional Court confirmed the constitutionality of the protocols, the ARF sees progress in verdict. “In its legal statement the CC confirmed that the protocols exclusively deal with the establishment of diplomatic relations and reopening of the present-day common border. The CC also addressed the major concerns and provided a satisfactory basis for Armenia’s reservations,” says the statement.

Referring to the CC’s verdict, the ARF states that “the protocols cannot legalize the Armenian-Turkish borders. The issue of borders remains open. It can only be settled by means of intergovernmental agreements which can be discussed in the future in conformity with the Armenian Constitution and laws. Attaching importance to the legal assessment, the ARF states that they can neutralize the present threats if, due to the CC’s verdict, the threats turn into reservations at the ratification stage.”

The ARF member Armen Rustamyan pointed out that the party’s first step will now be proposing amendments to the relevant law for the Armenian Parliament to ratify the protocols with reservations. If it fails, the party will introduce an initiative to invalidate the protocols. “The CC has provided sufficient grounds for that,” Rustamyan said. He pointed out that the process of invalidating the protocols will politically mean a process of changing power.

T.P.