YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan says the relations with Turkey must be normalized without preconditions, because, he adds, when there are preconditions it’s difficult to record progress in any matter.

Commenting on the ongoing regional developments and the possibilities of normalizing the relations with Turkey, Grigoryan told reporters that the ruling Civil Contract party has talked about establishing peace in the region and opening an era for ensuring peace and stability both before and after the recent snap parliamentary elections.

“We also must normalize the relations with Turkey within this logic, and this normalization should take place gradually. We are convinced that one of the possibilities of normalizing these relations is to have a dialogue at a high level. We have announced at different political levels that Armenia is ready to normalize the relations with Turkey, these statements and political steps have been made within this logic”, he told reporters after the Cabinet meeting today.

Asked how he imagines that cooperation, given the statement of the Azerbaijani President according to which Armenia should refrain from the issue of the status of Nagorno Karabakh as raising this issue would be harmful for Armenia, Armen Grigoryan said: “It’s very important to take into account that we normalize the relations with Turkey, and it is necessary to separate the normalization of the relations with Turkey from the relations with Azerbaijan, if there are any”.

Commenting on the view that Turkish side is putting forward preconditions and asked what preconditions the Armenian side is inclined to meet in order to start dialogue with Turkey, Armen Grigoryan said: “The Armenian side has repeatedly stated, even before us, during the previous leadership, that the relations with Turkey must be normalized without preconditions, because when there are preconditions, it’s difficult to move on any matter. And we hope that there will be normalization of relations without preconditions. All existing issues could be discussed in the future, but starting the relations with preconditions will be very difficult”.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan