YEREVAN. – Armenia and Turkey have made a large contribution to normalization of relations but, unfortunately, the last step has not been done yet, EU official said in Yerevan.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday Stefan Fule, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy, said that signed Armenian-Turkish protocols will remain on negotiating table and the sides will return to them when more favorable atmosphere is created.

As to Turkey’s membership to the EU, Fule said that candidates have to meet not only technical demands but must have good relations with neighboring states. Fule stressed he believes Turkey will not be an exception from the viewpoint of the approach common for all EU candidates.  

On October 10, 2009, in Zurich, the Armenian and Turkish Foreign Ministers, Edward Nalbandian and Ahmet Davutoglu, signed Armenian-Turkish protocols establishing bilateral relations. The Armenian and Turkish Parliaments were to ratify the protocols. However, Turkey’s destructive approach and preconditions forced Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to suspend the ratification process.