Armenia: Recognition of Genocide is not a precondition to normalization of relations with Turkey

Recall of the protocols normalizing the relations with Turkey from the Armenian Parliament was a political message with no legal consequences, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview with Reuters, Al Jazeera, CNN Turk, BBC, and Russia Today.

“I have not recalled the signatures from under the protocols. In such situations, my actions are not predetermined just by the behavior of the Turkish leadership. I act in line with our interests, the future of our people, and the efforts of the mediators in the process. I think the Turkish authorities still have time to ratify the protocols. When they do it, it will not take us long to put the protocols on agenda of the National Assembly,” the president said.

Serzh Sargsyan is sure that Armenia and Turkey must sooner or later normalize their bilateral relations and do it without any preconditions. “We do not set any preconditions to Turks. Do not demand them to recognize the Genocide in order we could establish relations with them. I think our approach is fair and constructive,” the president said. He is sure that the normalization process will be continued when Ankara is ready to establish the relations without preconditions.

“We want the protocols to be ratified. It is not our fault that the protocols have not been ratified yet,” the Armenian leader said.