Armenian Official Says Turkey Should Ratify In 'Reasonable' Time Frame
Shavarsh Kocharian, Armenia's deputy foreign minister
November 02, 2009
YEREVAN -- A senior Armenian Foreign Ministry official says Turkey should ratify the rapprochement agreements signed between the two countries within a "reasonable time frame," RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.
Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharian also told RFE/RL that the "Armenian side" has the expectation that Ankara should ratify the protocols first.
The historic agreements signed on October 10 in Zurich await parliamentary approval in both countries and would establish diplomatic relations and reopen the border between the two countries.
Kocharian added that he calls the time frame "reasonable" because it is "not counted by days but rather by numerous circumstances."
He added that the international community is keen to see Armenia-Turkish relations normalized and also "has a clear idea" of what a "reasonable" time frame is.
Kocharian said ratification should not be complicated by the dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which some say Turkey will link to a ratification of the protocols.
He said these two processes are not "interlinked."