Armenia will ratify the Armenian-Turkish protocols without any preconditions, Gagik Melikyan of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) told reporters. But, he said, Turkey is setting preconditions to Armenia. Melikyan believes that the protocols do not contain any preconditions.

Ruben Hakobyan, Head of the Akunk (Source) strategic studies center, stated that the Armenian authorities are not at all aware of the preconditions contained in the protocols though they assure the public of the opposite. “No coincidence that it was football diplomacy that inaugurated Armenian-Turkish reconciliation. Like in football, the two teams trying to outplay each other,” the expert said. He pointed out that Turkey will come off winner. According to Hakobyan, the process enabled Turkey to enhance its role in the region, forced the Armenian authorities into freezing the Armenian Genocide recognition process. Moreover, a gulf is now separating Armenia and the Diaspora. In conclusion, Hakobyan stressed that by initiative Armenian-Turkish reconciliation the Armenian authorities attempted to distract the public attention from domestic problems – and they succeeded.

T.P.