President Sarkisian with Foreign Minister Nalbandian during Tuesday's beriefing with Armenia's diplomatic corps

YEREVAN—President Serzh Sarkisian on Tuesday scolded both Baku and Ankara for their respective uncooperative position on the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and prolonging the Turkey-Armenia protocol process.

“I’m sure many of you share the opinion that Baku is not ready for peace, since it’s impossible to establish peace by propagating war, to reconcile societies by spreading hatred toward Armenians, to build trust by instigating an arms race,” said Sarkisian who was  speaking at a meeting of Armenia’s diplomatic corps at the foreign ministry.

“Such behavior by Azerbaijan is unacceptable, and our response will be appropriate. Rest assured that in case of new military action, Armenia will not hesitate to impose peace on the rivals,” added Sarkisian.

On the protocols, Sarkisian highlighted that Turkey reneged on its promise to sign the protocols that established diplomatic relations between the two countries without any preconditions.

“The Turkish side needs to understand that the protocols are not an open-ended and perpetual opportunity. Many of our friends advised us to wait until the parliamentary elections in Turkey. Thus, during the coming months we’ll see whether there are changes in Turkey, although the past two months do not inspire optimism. Only afterward we’ll decide on our future steps,” said Sarkisian.

Last week, the new Turkish parliament had not included the issue of the protocols on its legislative agenda.

The president said Armenia remains committed to normalizing relations with Turkey without preconditions.

In discussing the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Sarkisian singled out the example of South Sudan, which through a popular referendum declared independence that was hailed by the international community.

“This year we witnessed Southern Sudan gain independence after decades of struggle, enriching the world with the realization of people’s right self-determination,” said Sarkisian, adding that a similar outcome is inevitable for Artsakh.

”When we say that the approaches of the international community on the Karabakh issue overlap with the official position of Armenia, it’s not a propaganda trick. Thanks to our clear-cut position and our willingness to take responsibility, the international community has come to accept that our approaches are more realistic and peaceful. This is evident in recent high-level statements on Nagorno Karabakh. It’s also clear to whom the messages they contain are addressed,” added Sarkisian.

The president also reiterated earlier statement that while Armenia and themediating countries were prepare to advance the negotiations in Kazan, Russia earlier this summer, it was Azerbaijan that created obstacles in furthering the process.