YEREVAN (Novosti-Armenia), February 24— It is practically impossible that Armenia will be the first to ratify the Armenian-Turkish protocols. This was stated at a press conference on Tuesday by Davit Harutyunyan, the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly of Armenia on State and Legal Affairs.

“I find it almost impossible that Armenia will be the first to ratify the protocols. However, I do not want to rule out any possibility,” Harutyunyan said. He also noted that Armenia has no grounds for haste in this matter.

Speaking about the possible revocation of Armenia’s signature from the protocols, Harutyunyan noted that the political climate around the issue is constantly changing. He also mentioned that the diplomatic mechanisms are quite different. Thus, according to him, because of these problems Armenia has refrained from setting any dates of ratification, but the ratification process can not last for years–it is probably a question of one or two months.

“Our decision on a possible response depends on various processes. Maybe we’ll wait a month or two, if we count it appropriate, or maybe we’ll take this step,” he said.

Harutyunyan said that his parliamentary committee will review the protocols at the nearest session and then will give its conclusion. At the same time, he indicated that he had rejected the proposal to organize a committee of separate hearings on this matter.

Commenting on the decision of the Constitutional Court of the Armenian-Turkish protocols, Harutyunyan stressed that he had not made any reservations in the protocols, but made his comment so that in future no one “dares to withdraw from its provisions.”

He called the statements made by Turkey against the court decision unfounded, and said he was glad to see the international support for Armenia on this issue.

On October 10 in Zurich, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Turkey, Eduard Nalbandian and Ahmed Davutoglu, respectively signed the “Protocol for establishing diplomatic relations” and “Protocol for the development of bilateral relations.” The reports have already been received for consideration by the Armenian parliament.

The Armenian-Turkish border has been closed since 1993 on the initiative of official Ankara. The complex relationship between the two countries are caused by, inter alia, Ankara’s unfounded support for Azerbaijan in the Karabakh issue, as well as by Turkey’s acute reaction to the process of international recognition of the 1915 Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire.

On the February 12, President Serge Sarkisian sent the two Armenian-Turkish protocols (“Protocol for establishing diplomatic relations” and “Protocol for the development of bilateral relations”) to the National Assembly of Armenia for ratification.

Translated from Russian by Yerevan Report