Armenia scraps deal with Turkey meant to normalise relations

Armenia has scrapped a peace agreement it signed with Turkey in 2009 in a failed attempt to normalise relations between the two countries, the Armenian president’s press service said on Thursday.

Armenia and Turkey signed the landmark peace accord to restore ties and open their shared border after a century of hostility stemming from the first World War mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman forces.

The deal needed parliamentary approval in both countries, but was never ratified, and the Armenian and Turkish governments have since accused each other of trying to change its terms.

“As a result of discussions, President [Serzh] Sarksyan signed a decree and a national security council approved a procedure of annulling protocols which have been signed on October 10, 2009,” the press service said in a statement.

The press service quoted Mr Sarksyan as saying that Armenia did everything “not to leave the burden of the settlement of relations between Armenia and Turkey on the shoulders of future generations”.
“But Ankara. did not even make a single step towards ratification and implementation of protocols, but also left no doubt that it was not intending to do it,” Mr Sarksyan said.
 [irishtimes.com/Reuters]
 1/3/18
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• Η Αρμενία ακύρωσε τη συμφωνία ειρήνης με την Τουρκία