Question: Minister, recently some Turkish officials have been making statements to the effect that the normalization of Armenian-Turkish  relations is conditioned by other issues like the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh problem and the process of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Could you comment on that?

Answer:  The normalization of Armenian – Turkish relations should have no preconditions and it is with this mutual understanding that we have been negotiating with the Turkish side.

Normalization of the relations has no linkage to the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh problem and has never been a subject of negotiations towards the normalization of Armenian – Turkish relations.

It has been said many times, and I want to stress it again, that the normalization of Armenian – Turkish relations can never question the reality of Armenian Genocide.

Today, dozens of states and international organizations have recognized the Armenian Genocide, which Armenia has welcomed.

I believe, that the statements, which put forth preconditions for the normalization of Armenian Turkish relations may be regarded as an attempt to impede the progress reached in the negotiations.