Turkish studies expert Ruben Safrastyan welcomed the protocol on development of relations between Turkey and Armenia. He qualified the protocol and the significance of the Turkish-Armenian roadmap as important and a landmark for Armenia.
"We must take these two documents very seriously. The diplomats have done a huge amount of work and the signing of these documents could be qualified as the success of the diplomacy that began a year ago," said Ruben Safrastyan. According to him, the protocol goes to show that Turkey has refused its preconditions.
"There is nothing mentioned about tying Turkish-Armenian relations with the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It is also not mentioned that Armenia must refuse its policy on genocide recognition," said Ruben Safrastyan. According to him, the protocol was also a possible reaction to Serzh Sargsyan's announcement to not visit Turkey.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davudoghli announced that the Turkish-Armenian border will not be opened in this stage and that Ankara will take Azerbaijan's interests in each stage of normalization of relations. In response to this, the diplomat said:
"True, the border will not be opened immediately and our diplomats must try to continue their steps. The problem is that the Turkish Foreign Ministry is making that announcement, while the Armenian Foreign Ministry keeps silent. But I must also say that while the Turkish Foreign Ministry's website features the announcement by Davudoghlu, the texts of the protocol and the roadmap are not on the website. Meanwhile, the Armenian ministry did that last night. This is a certain working style that we must get used to," said Ruben Safrastyan.
