“There is no 100-percent of guarantee for ratification of the Turkish-Armenian protocols of normalization, but I am sure that it will be realized”, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby said in his interview with Russian “Vremya Novostey” newspaper during his visit to Russia.
He said ratification of the protocols was meeting interests of both countries. “It is vital issue for Armenia and meets the Turkish interests as well. It is an example of Turkey’s new policy toward its neighbors. Of course, it is important for Turkey to take the Azerbaijan’s interests into consideration and to hear reaction of Azerbaijanis to this issue. Turkish-Armenian normalization will create new opportunities and positively impact on the security problem in the region”. Semneby noted that main protest against the protocols arises not from the Armenian citizens, but from Armenian Diaspora. “The Armenian leadership should take the citizens’ interests into consideration and satisfy the Diaspora. I don’t expect public outbreak in Armenia, but it is a serious problem for the Armenian authorities because Diaspora plays important role in Armenia’s life and it has not univocal attitude to the protocols”.
Peter Semneby said it was not correct to link the Turkish-Armenian normalization with the process of settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. “These are two different conflicts and it doesn’t need to link them with each other. Otherwise the doors opened for the normalization of the relations can be closed again. It is clearly seen that any considerable tension in one of these conflicts effect on common atmosphere. It needs to make it that these processes positively impact on each other”.
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