The Foreign Relations Committee, RA Parliament, was to discuss the Armenian-Turkish protocols today. As a result of heated debate, the Committee, at Chairman Armen Rustamyan’s suggestion, decided to set up a work group, with one representative of each parliamentary faction included it in, to advance proposals for a thorough discussion of the protocols.

At the suggestion of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) (ARF(D) and Heritage faction members, the Committee decided to request Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan that the protocols should be discussed not during the four-day session that begins on February 22, but only after the Committee gives its expert opinion.

The Regulations of the RA National Assembly contain a relevant provision. However, Stepan Safaryan, Chairman of the Heritage parliamentary faction, told NEWS.am that “our Parliament has very bad traditions and may start discussing the protocols during the next four-day session at the instance of the Armenian President or RA Minister of Defense.”

The Armenian-Turkish protocols were put on the RA Parliament’s agenda and will be submitted to discussions without regardless of the Committee’s opinion. The ruling coalition members are for ratifying the protocols, whereas the Heritage faction members are strongly against. The ARF is against, but it will change its mind provided reservation clauses are introduced.

The Committee is to hold its next sitting on March 12, but it may also hold a special sitting to discuss the protocols.

Stepan Safaryan told NEWS.am that the coalition members are for multi-stage discussions of the protocols. “May be they want the protocols to be ratified later. They seem to be delaying the ratification, hoping that Turkey will not do it as well. Or they want to get dividends, for an American official to praise our authorities,” Safaryan said.

The Foreign Relations Committee discussed draft amendments to the Law “On international agreements”, which was put on the agenda of the four-day session ahead of schedule. The law allows a signatory to withdraw its signature before the agreement takes effect. RA Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan, who introduced the bill, under Stepan Safaryan’s pressure, had to admit that the bill was introduced on President Serzh Sargsyan’s order and has to do with the Armenian-Turkish protocols.

T.P.