We are prepared for 'unconditional rapprochement' with Turkey, says Armenian deputy FM

A deputy foreign minister of Armenia on Saturday reaffirmed the authorities' approach on initiating reconciliation processes with Turkey, saying that they are prepared for an "unconditional normalization of relations".

Speaking to reporters at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Park (where the government elite visited earlier today to pay tribute to the Genocide victims on the 106th anniversary of the tragic events), Ambassador Avet Adonts said they treat Turkey as the only country today that puts forward preconditions "amid the absence of any dialogue". 

Asked to comment on any practical steps towards developing a cooperation format in light of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) War, the diplomat insisted on the Armenian authorities' adherence to the OSCE Minsk Group principles as the only viable format. "As far as the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is concerned, we are not presently considering other formats apart from the Minsk Group. The Minsk Group works, and I really believe [the outcomes] will be visible soon," he added.

Asked to comment on the implications behind the repeated calls for a "change in attitudes" to the hostile states, the deputy minister said they consider their work transparent enough to be visible to the public. "We do what we do. The Foreign Ministry's agenda is very open and visible to all. There are certainly segments that deal with classical diplomacy and never go beyond the scope of internal discourse," Adonts said, ruling out the admissibility of any precondition.

Asked whether Turkey's precondition on Karabakh is still in place after the end of the 44-day fighting, the deputy FM reiterated the "zero dialogue" with that country. "I have already said that we do not have any dialogue. There are zero-level relations at the moment with the official circles of Turkey. I haven't heard any precondition dealing with the war. Nevertheless, the Nagorno-Karabakh [conflict] settlement remains a precondition proposed by Turkey," he added.