It seems that the “initiative policy” of the Armenian government related to the Armenia-Turkey relations comes to its end. The government has almost taken all the necessary steps, including inviting the Turkish President Abdullah Gul to the soccer match in September 2008 and signing the Armenia-Turkey protocols. Now is the time to solve the issue of ratifying or not ratifying the protocols.
At the end of the last week RA President Serzh Sargsyan sent to the NA the protocols on Turkey-Armenia signed in Zurich on October 10, 2009. A week after signing the protocols the Turkish government sent the protocols for the discussion of the Turkish parliament. But the parliament of that country hasn’t yet signed it. As the Turkish officials have numerously stated they are waiting till there would be certain progress in the resolution of the NKR conflict. But during this period various RA officials of various levels have numerously stated that Armenia waits for Turkey to ratify the protocols first. For the ratification the Armenian side brings the deadline or “reasonable timeframe” April 24. However, most probably the standpoint of the Armenian government has changed. At any rate, an RPA MP Rafik Petrosyan stated yesterday that the deadline is March 4. Indeed, Petrosyan didn’t bring this up on his own and expressed the attitude of the RA government. Let us remember that the Foreign Relations Committee of the US House of Representatives decided to vote for the resolution 252 related to the Armenian Genocide. On the other hand, the protocols are already in the parliament and according to the legislation on international agreements they will be automatically included in the big agenda of the upcoming NA session. And during the last several days an opinion is heard that Armenia should itself take certain steps in the direction of ratification and not just wait for Turkey to ratify first. RA NA deputy-chairman Samvel Nikoyan finds it convenient that the foreign relations committee starts to discuss these protocols. And the president of the European Integration NGO Karen Bekaryan thinks that there will be no problem if Armenia ratifies the protocols first. Let us mention that often Karen Bekaryan’s opinions match with the ones of the government. This means that the government can no more keep back from their initiatives and the adopted policies. And now Armenia should ratify those first to embarrass Turkey. The second document that is being circulated in the parliament is the bill sent by the government, which relates to the changes in the RA legislation on international agreements. As a result of the bill the RA President will have the power to cancel or annul the procedures of adopting of international agreements. The President will also have the power to assign the Foreign Affairs Minister to inform the other side of the agreement of the cancellation of the agreements. By the initiative of the government the RA President, Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister and other relevant bodies may come up with the initiative of the cancellation and annulment of international agreements. Let us recall that on December 10 of the last year, a month before the hearing of the protocols in the Constitutional Court of Armenia during the meeting with the President of Latvia Sargsyan stated that he had assigned the relevant bodies of Armenia to prepare necessary revisions to the legislation relating to international agreements and that he had already sent this initiative to the NA. And so the government has complied with this assignment and sent a legislative initiative to the NA. This should also be discussed in the Foreign Relations Committee of the National Assembly. The other bill relating to this issue is brought up by the Dashnaktsution faction, why which they are suggesting that besides the RA President the NA should also have the power to object international agreements. The ARF has numerously stated that in the event of ratifying the Armenian-Turkish protocols certain appendices should also be attached to the protocols. And with the bill it is suggested that the NA should also object and make initiatives to annul international agreements if the RA President doesn’t do so. In the opinion of the Dashnaks this bill will not only make Armenia flexible in foreign relations but will also raise the role and importance of the National Assembly in the international arena. As of the mere process of ratification of the protocols then it won’t have obstacles in the parliament. The parliamentary majority RPA together with its coalition counterparts, the Legal State and Prosperous Armenia will vote for the protocols. The Foreign Relations Committee will also give positive assessments to the bill submitted by the government. Indeed, if later the authorities do not decide that such a bill is not necessary. And the bill proposed by the Dashnaktsutyun faction will be adopted if the government shows good will. ARF MP Artsvik Minasyan thinks that their draft is mutually beneficial for the government as well. But it is not excluded that the government will not even discuss the proposed draft of their former counterpart. In that case, as Minasyan says it is not excluded that they will benefit from their right of parliamentary opposition and will at least demand discussion of the bill in the extraordinary manner. Let us mention that yesterday Rafik Petrosyan stated that the protocols will be discussed in the upcoming third NA 4-day session.