Friday, September 3 2021 15:57

ArmInfo. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke about the background of the 6-word note that he gave to his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian in Zurich before the signing of the Armenian-Turkish protocols on the  normalization of relations.

So, on September 3, at the "New Knowledge" educational marathon,  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, when asked what was behind  the note, which contained only six words:"Edward, agree to the  ceremony without statements", that he gave  to his Armenian counterpart  before the signing of the Armenian-Turkish protocols in 2009, in  particular, noted that it is necessary to outline the context so that  everything becomes clear.

"And the context was that somewhere in 2008, our Armenian friends  told us that the Turks offered to agree on documents on the  restoration of diplomatic relations, on the normalization of  relations and cooperation, and the implementation of joint projects.  We said that very well, are there any preconditions? They said that  without preconditions," Lavrov said, adding that later, when it came  to signing, which was planned in Zurich and attended by the ministers  of Armenia and Turkey, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the EU  representative and he personally, it turned out that there are  preconditions.

We should have witnessed this serious step. But, just before the  signing, it turned out that the Turkish side was talking about its  readiness to sign all the documents, but with a reservation on  Nagorno-Karabakh. The text of the clause was at variance with the  position of the Armenian side. I then told my Armenian counterpart  that I had warned him, because it was hard to believe that there  would be no preconditions.  However, everything has become  deadlocked," Lavrov said. He added that then the Turkish minister  agreed to withdraw the statement, but already the Armenian side  insisted on its statement.

According to the Russian minister, they were sitting watching  football, and the two ministers were arguing and in the end he then  suggested that the Armenian side should not insist on statements. <As  a result, the agreements were signed without any statements, but they  were not implemented all for the same reason - the parties saw  differently the process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.  But now, when the war is over, the foundations for the political  process, unblocking of all transport and economic ties have been  formed, it seems to me quite logical if our Armenian and Turkish  counterparts resume efforts to normalize relations. We are ready to  help this in the most active way," the Russian Foreign Minister  summed up.