Ratification and implementation of the Zurich Protocols rests upon Turkey, Armenian Foreign Minister, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe Edward Nalbandian, said answering the questions of the PACE delegates, on June 24.
The minister said that it was Yerevan's initiative to establish dialogue between Armenia and Turkey.
"After long and hard process of negotiations we finally agreed and signed protocols in October 2009 in Zurich. Unfortunately, Turkey refuses to ratify the documents and fulfill its commitments without pre- conditions," the minister said.
Nalbandian said that in this aspect Armenia's stance coincides with the stances of many countries, including CoE member-states, USA and Russia.
"The ball is in Turkey's field. Ratification and fulfillment of the protocols rests upon Ankara," he said.
Armenia and Turkey signed the "Protocol on the establishment of diplomatic relations" and the "Protocol on the development of bilateral relations" in Zurich on October 10. Following Turkey's unwillingness to ratify the protocols and attempts to link ratification with the Karabakh conflict made President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan sign a decree on suspension of the procedure of ratification of the Armenian -Turkish protocols. After the protocols were removed from agenda of the Turkish parliament in August 2011 as the term of the parliament of the previous convocation expired, in some two months they were returned to the agenda of the Turkish national assembly. However, the term of their ratification has not been determined yet.