Armenian FM: “Facts are distorted”
"The facts are simply distorted. We have repeatedly said that the Armenian-Turkish peace deal has been disrupted by mutual agreement and the process should proceed without preconditions. There are not prerequisites in the Armenian-Turkish Protocols either," Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said when commenting on PACE President's statement that there are unwritten preconditions and the sides are aware of them.
"The Foreign Ministers participating in the signing of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols have announced that their countries expect the protocols to be ratified without preconditions," stressed Nalbandian.
Further he cited the words of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who said that Armenia has already fulfilled its commitments and the ball is now in the court of Turkey.
"I think that the attempts to shift the responsibility onto the other side are vain," said the Armenian FM.
Answering A1+'s question on the PACE Sub-Committee on Nagorno Karabakh, Edward Nalbandian said, "Not only Armenia but also the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs stressed that the revival of the sub-committee will not benefit the settlement process. The decisions of the sub-committee are not binding."
The Armenian Foreign Minister reminded that the talks over the Karabakh conflict are held within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group.
"Great is the contribution of Russian President Dmitri Medvedev who also initiated the forthcoming trilateral meeting of Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian Presidents in Kazan," he said.
Diana Markosyan
Strasbourg
