– As a response to Erdogan’s statements the president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan stated that he had entrusted the administration to prepare a package of amendments to the legislation, which relates to the ratification and adoption of international agreements and treaties. Several days ago the Turkish media publicized information, according to which the assistant to the US Secretary of State Phillip Gordon said that “the ratification of the protocols should be without preconditions and be separate from all the other issues.” But yesterday, the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her phone conversation with Sargsyan said that once again emphasized that the United States will continue with its consistent support for a speedy normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey without preconditions. Don’t these statements mean that the RA is making its position rougher and that we need to believe in the government, which insists that there are preconditions in the protocols and that the two issues are separate from each other?
– I am not familiar with the statements of Gordon and Clinton. As of the statements of the Armenian president we know that according to the constitution he is merely the guarantor of the constitution of the country and the other laws. If the executive branch of power finds it necessary to reform the legislation then it comes up with a legislative initiative. And if the National Assembly finds it expedient it amends the legislation. The president of the republic should be the guarantor of checks and balances of the three branches of power. But he states that he has assigned to reform the legislation. This is beyond the frames of his powers. Besides that it is not understandable why the legislation should be revised not to ratify the protocols. Up until yesterday they were speaking that these protocols are written on our behalf and that those are very important for the economic development of the country and further prosperity. And if those are so good they ought to be signed and ratified. If you are not going to ratify then you should have thought about this during the signing. All this is not clear to me and it is too bad that they don’t know the legislation of the country.
– Regardless of the fact that all this is beyond the powers of the president or whatever the authorities of Turkey state, don’t you think that the government of Armenia will not go with the solution, which links these two issues?
– They have been saying for two months at different levels that the normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations is linked with the NKR conflict resolution. Everybody speaks about this besides the government of Armenia. The Armenian government by considering itself a rubber hose only says that these are wonderful agreements and that the two issues are not interrelated and that we should get to the point of their ratification by all means. For two months various signals were coming from different countries that the impulses instilled in our society are not truthful. And finally it wasn’t worth saying anything. And Sargsyan’s statement is conditioned with that. This is only for internal use and for the pacifying the society, which implies that we are also in charge of the situation and that we are not going to take any compromises. But now it is evident that these two processes are linked. That is the re4ason why the PACE suddenly remembered that there are 4 resolutions and that their conditions haven’t been followed yet. This is the continuation of the same process. And now it’s the time for Armenia to keep its promises, the verbal agreements. This is one of the pressuring methods of the international community.
– Are you trying to say that Armenia doesn’t have any control of the Armenia-turkey relations and the NLR conflict resolution and that this statement was only aimed at pacifying the society?
– Which of the statements of the officials of Armenia has ever had any impact during the past 1.5 years? None of those statements did any influence on any international process. They got tired of telling Sargsyan to comply with the obligations, which he had agreed to.
– But the RA government has also numerously stated that if Turkey doesn’t ratify the protocols by spring of the next year Armenia will defect from this process.
– Very well. Turkey in its turn is saying that if Armenia doesn’t remove its troops from the NKR by spring it will cancel the process. Where are we going with such mutual demands? The society needs the answer of this.
– In your opinion what will the outcome of the protocols and the NKR conflict resolution have in these conditions?
– It will either be the resignation of Sargsyan or return of the NKR to Azerbaijan. In Athens they signed a statement, which was acceptable for Armenia as well. It clearly read the principles, based on which the NKR conflict should have been resolved. This definitely excludes any status of the NKR outside the framework of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
– In that case, why does not the ANC fight to prevent such developments?
– The action of protest was on December 10 on the occasion of the anniversary of the Convention of Human Rights. Every Friday we express our complaints in front of the Prosecutor’s Office. The congress has made a statement and mentioned the dangerous points. What else can the ANC do? Shall we do a rally? This is discussed as well and there will be rallies.
– This action and the march don’t have anything to do with the Armenian-Turkish relations or the NKR conflict. And the rally is held for pre-election purposes to endorse Nicol Pashinyan.
– There will be protest rallies against this anti-Armenian policy. We will apply all the legal means to ban the adoption of anti-Armenian decisions.