Armenian-Turkish Protocols remain on table, says Swiss President

The Protocols signed between Turkey and Armenia in 2009 still remain on table, President of Switzerland Doris Leuthard said in an interview with Turkish daily Zaman.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul is planning a visit to Switzerland later in November. In that connection, the Swiss leader met with Turkish journalists to discuss the current stage of Armenian-Turkish rapprochement.

Asked whether Switzerland still acts as a broker in the Armenian-Turkish deal, she said: "The Protocols were signed last year but the final goal has not yet been achieved. We need time… But our future is based on common goals. And the common goal is the friendly relationship between the states and peaceful co-existence of peoples. But today, the Armenians and Turks seem unwilling to do that, let alone talking about the past. Switzerland could and would assist them in bringing the Protocols to life, but the rest depends on the parties' political will. The negotiations are underway, and our role is just to facilitate the process. We must see the parties demonstrate political will to continue the talks."

Touching on the current developments in the process and the possibility of protocols ratification, the Swiss President said: "The Protocols signed in Zurich remain on table. Hopefully, the process will continue as the parties do really have political will. We'll inform the public of the process when proper time arrives. A lot of delicate details sometimes require silent diplomacy. We hope both countries' parliaments will ratify the Protocols, but I can't say anything as to the timeframes. I attach importance to the quality rather than the speed of the process," Doris Leuthard added.