OPPOSITION OFFICIAL CHIDES ARMENIAN HEAD FOR LACK OF PROGRESS IN KARABAKH
TALKS

Noyan Tapan news agency
9 Nov 04

Yerevan, 9 November: “I think (Armenian President Robert) Kocharyan’s
complexes are to blame for the transformation of the Karabakh conflict
into a territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Kocharyan
believes that his successor in the post of president of the NKR
(Nagornyy Karabakh Republic) is unable to conduct negotiations since
he is not as clever as he is,” Aram Sarkisyan, member of the political
council of the Anrapetutyun (Republic) Party and former prime minister,
has said.

He thinks that Robert Kocharyan, who has transferred the Karabakh
conflict into a territorial dispute, has driven this issue of big
politics into a deadlock.

“The public and political parties consider it necessary for Nagornyy
Karabakh to return to the negotiations process. Other points of
views are out of the question since the problem is precisely about
Karabakh’s self-determination,” Aram Sarkisyan said.

He thinks that the major task of the peaceful settlement of the
conflict should be not to make any of the sides feel themselves losers
since the realization of defeat, at least, indicates an approaching
wave of dissatisfaction. In this context, the former prime minister
thinks that the Armenian side should put the accent on the right
of the people of Nagornyy Karabakh to self-determination. The
Karabakh people should themselves decide whether they want to be
part of Armenia, remain independent or enjoy any other status, Aram
Sarkisyan said. “After all, it is up to them to decide. It is clear
that a settlement should be legally based on the right of the nation to
self-determination, rather than, as the Council of Europe says, filing
a suit with a court which will decide who is right and who is wrong.”

In the meantime, Aram Sarkisyan noted that neither the Armenian nor the
Azerbaijani public were ready for mutual compromises. He said that it
was necessary to prepare the public and in this context, for a start it
is necessary to continue contacts at the level of public organizations.

He is confident that delaying the problem harms both sides. “The time
of behind-the-scene talks has passed, the talks should not be an end
in itself but should produce a concrete solution to the problem. But
the authorities in Armenia and Azerbaijan have neither enough resources
nor the political will for that,” Aram Sarkisyan said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress