A few days ago, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced that the settlement of Armenian-Turkish relations is actually a tripartite process and everything is coordinated with Baku, regardless of whether the Armenian side or Armenians will like it or not. In response to the journalists’ question about the Armenian side’s position regarding this, Civil Contract MP Maria Karapetyan clarified first, “Did you quote directly? Did you read the text that way? I am not familiar with such a text. I have read Cavusoglu’s statement, in which it is said that Turkey is always in consultations with Azerbaijan. I read the word ‘consultations.’
In general, the fact that these two countries can coordinate their steps should not shock us, it can be expected. Should our positions and actions be conditioned by this? No. And we are negotiating with Turkey regarding the opening of the Armenia-Turkey border without preconditions, and what is written in the bilateral press releases as a result of our negotiations is of primary importance here. We all know very well that both the Turkish side and the Armenian side record that these negotiations are going on without preconditions and there is an agreement on two specific results: opening the border for citizens of third countries and the implementation of direct air but cargo transportation.
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Now we must work hard to make these two a reality. How Turkey will resolve this and agree on their mutual interests with Azerbaijan, perhaps it is their job. They are in consultations. Let them do it. We should be interested in our interests, in opening the border so Armenia can breathe, for cargo transportation to be carried out. And in the meantime, we should not lose any of our vital interests.
Let’s not subordinate our interests to that process. So that is what we do. I don’t think it is helpful to consistently bring up that concern and anxiety into that conversation.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
