Azernews.Az

Armenia could halt the process of ratifying its 2009 reconciliation accords signed with Turkey, just like other international agreements, the country’s Foreign Minister, Eduard Nalbandian, has said. He was speaking on Tuesday before the Armenian parliament passed a law that allows Yerevan to turn down international documents prior to their taking effect.
"Suspending an international agreement or its invalidation can be initiated by the president, prime minister, foreign minister and relevant bodies. Naturally, when a need arises, Armenia could take respective steps, because the Armenia- Turkey protocols are an international agreement, as well."
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian earlier warned that his country was ready to abandon the process of normalizing bilateral relations if Turkey "delays" parliamentary approval of the documents signed by the two governments in Switzerland in October 2009.
The Armenian parliament passed the law on international agreements with 80 votes. The ultra-nationalist Dashnaksutyun Party had also supported the bill despite expressing criticism over a rapprochement with Turkey.
The protocols seek to forge diplomatic ties and open the sealed border, following decades of hostility caused by the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territory and claims on 1915 "genocide" in the Ottoman Empire. However, Turkish officials have assured Azerbaijan, Turkey’s ally, that the protocols will not pass in the country’s parliament until progress is made in resolving the long-standing Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh.*