Nalbandian: Armenia did not demand recognition of Armenian Genocide  by Turkey as prerequisites for normalization of relations.

ArmInfo.Armenia is making every possible effort to improve the climate of cooperation, however, conflicts and dividing lines continue to impede the formation of an atmosphere of interaction in the region.

This, in Brussels during a speech at the Foreign Relations Commission of the European Parliament, said Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.  Almost 30 years past after the fall of the Berlin wall Turkey continues to keep its borders with Armenia closed, said Armenian MFA.

According to Nalbandian, when President Serzh Sargsyan assumed the  office ten years ago, he initiated a process of normalization of  relations between Armenia and Turkey without any preconditions.  Turkey agreed to proceed on this basis and a year later Armenia and  Turkey signed in Zurich two protocols with this purpose. However,  just after the signature Turkey has backtracked from the agreements.  Not only has it refrained from ratifying the protocols, but Ankara  has returned to the language of preconditions that it had used before  the beginning of the process. Turkey has attempted to link the  Armenian-Turkish normalization process to the settlement of the  Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on ungrounded claims of the  Azerbaijani side. Any Turkish attempts to interfere in the Karabakh  process or to link the normalization of relations with the  Nagorno-Karabakh talks, harms both processes. This is a position that  the whole international community have emphasized several times.

"From the beginning of the process we made it clear in our contacts  with the Turkish side as well as publicly that Armenia will never put  under question the fact of the Armenian Genocide or the importance of  its international recognition. True reconciliation does not consist  of forgetting the past or feeding young generations with tales of  denial. Armenia did not require the recognition of Genocide by Turkey  as a precondition for the normalization of the relations.  Paradoxically it is Turkey, that for 100 years has continuously  denied the Genocide, has attempted to manipulate that issue, using it  as another precondition.  While I touched upon this issue, speaking  in the premises of the European Parliament, I would like to recall  that one of the first resolutions on the recognition of the Armenian  Genocide was adopted here back in 1987. Likewise, I would like to  take this opportunity to thank the European Parliament for expressing  its principled position on the centennial of the Armenian Genocide in  2015," Nalbandian stated. 

The normalization process with Turkey could have created new  opportunities for both of our nations and the region at large.  Armenia spared no effort to see it succeed. Turkey has missed  historic chance of reconciliation. Armenia does not resort to the  language of preconditions, but equally, we shall never accept  preconditions put forth by anyone. As President Sargsyan made it  clear last Saturday in his speech at the Munich Security Conference  "We cannot wait eternally for Turkey's response", Nalbandian  summarized.