The agenda of the Armenian-Turkish interstate relations should be aimed at harmonizing and balanced implementation of each other’s interests

In connection with the fact of the first clear agreements recorded between the special representatives of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Turkey at the fourth meeting held in Vienna, we announce the following regarding the comments made by official Yerevan and Ankara:

a/ Welcoming the agreements reached, evaluating them as intermediate on the way to full normalization, expressing very cautious optimism about the prospects of the process, at the same time, taking into account the experience of the recent past, as well as the uncertainty of the signals from Ankara, we consider that the agreements fixed in the messages can be considered accomplished only and exclusively in case of their practical and complete implementation;

b/ Considering giving an orderly, predictable, and civilized character to Armenia-Turkey interstate relations as an absolute priority, we consider that they should be free from the destructive effects of neighboring and regional states and power centers, which stems from the interests of the effectiveness of the process. Meanwhile, by assuming the commitment to advance the process of relations without preconditions, Ankara, continues to derive them from the most maximalist aspirations and whims of the Azerbaijani authorities towards Armenia, which directly creates problems on the way to achieving a positive result and gives reason to doubt the process of official Ankara’s sincerity of process engagement;

c/ Strongly emphasizing the importance of Armenia-Turkey face-to-face dialogue as the best format from the point of view of protecting the process from destructive interventions of third parties and building an atmosphere of trust, at the same time we call on the democratic partners of Armenia and Turkey to intensify their efforts aimed at maximizing the participation of official Ankara in the process, encouraging, and, if necessary, also pressuring results-oriented steps, so that taking into account the previous bad experience of “soccer diplomacy”, the process does not turn into an exclusively self-serving process, adding to the already growing uncertainty. Therefore, we call on the Armenian authorities, in the context of the current realities of international relations, to intensify dialogue during their contact with international partners;

d/ We reaffirm that the agenda of the Armenian-Turkish interstate relations should be aimed at harmonizing and balanced implementation of each other’s interests and should not become a small coin of someone else’s aspirations, inside or outside. Given the significant amount of mandatory consultations in a mutually sensitive process, at the same time, we consider it necessary to remind the authorities of the imperative of proper accountability, and also, given the strategic importance of the process, it is vital to ensure proper public communication, which will best protect the process from various speculation and manipulation of meanings;

e/ We are convinced that the radical interests of the Republic of Armenia at the current stage of relations with Turkey require from the government, the opposition, the press, and the entire political class a higher state-minded thinking, responsibility, and categorical rejection of the temptation to manipulate the realities of negotiations, which is a prerequisite for a nationwide issue of such vital importance on its way to consensus;

f/ The path we have traveled in these thirty years, as well as the existence of an unstable and transitional situation at the time of the modern world order, prove our conviction that having as much as possible predictable and orderly relations with our neighbors is imperative to have an independent, sovereign, and peaceful Republic of Armenia.