Armenian authorities unable to defend Karabakh – pressure group leader

Arminfo
29 Oct 04

YEREVAN

The Armenian authorities cannot defend properly the liberated Armenian
lands in the international arena, the head of the Defence of the
Liberated Territories political initiative, Zhirayr Sefilyan, said at
the National Press Club today.

He said that by fighting for their land, the Armenians proved that the
liberated territories belong to the Armenians, not to the Azerbaijanis.
Nevertheless, the behaviour of representatives of the Armenian
leadership in the international arena is incompatible with the courage
and aspirations of the freedom fighters.

Zhirayr Sefilyan noted that at present, the USA and West are showing
great interest in the liberated territories. As for Turkey, it is more
interested in the valley of the Araz River. Zhirayr Sefilyan explained
why this territory: “This territory is located on the very border and
he who deploys his troops here will have an opportunity to control the
entire region.”

On this basis, West and America are keen to settle here. At the same
time, speaking about Putin’s proposal, Sefilyan noted that “he does
not take it seriously, considering it to be another slap in the face
of our authorities”.

To recap, the mass media reported that Putin’s suggestion was “to
withdraw the Armenian troops from the occupied territories outside the
Nagornyy Karabakh Republic [NKR] in exchange for holding a referendum
on the status of Karabakh both in Karabakh and in Azerbaijan”.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress