Armenian-Turkish reconciliation launched by Armenia is among the most important events of 2010. By launching the process Armenia proved that, despite the Armenian Genocide of 1915, it is not a country “with hang-ups” and is ready to established civilized relations with a state that committed that crime, Naira Zohrabyan, the Chairwoman of the Committee for European Integration, RA Parliament, member of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), told NEWS.am. She stressed that international recognition of the Armenian Genocide is on official Yerevan’s foreign-policy agenda.

“By initiating reconciliation with Turkey Armenia gained an international reputation of a reliable partner. Evidence thereof was the superpowers’ response, namely, their statement that it was Turkey’s unconstructive position that led the process to a stalemate,” Zohrabyan said. In the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, she underlined the important ruling by the Hague Tribunal, which says that self-proclamation of Kosovo was not a violation of international law. “It is the Armenian side’s trump card in international recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh. International legal norms cannot be selectively applied,” Zohrabyan said. She also welcomes intensified diplomatic efforts. The result is international agencies’ positive response.

“As to foreign policy, the year 2010 was a happy one as far as stability is concerned. However, my wish is that the year 2011 – a year before two most important elections, 201 parliamentary elections and 2013 presidential election, - become a year of greater political tolerance in the country. If we fail in this, we will encounter serious problems. Armenia’s foreign and domestic political agenda has no issue that is impossible to settle by means of consensus,” Zohrabyan said.

She stressed Armenia still has grave social problems to resolve. “We have bribery and corruption and we cannot say we have made great progress in battling them,” Zpohrabyan said.