Armenian ex-president downbeat about Karabakh settlement

Mediamax news agency
25 Nov 04

Yerevan, 25 November: Armenian ex-President Levon Ter-Petrosyan has
said there is lack of “progress” in the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
settlement, the first Armenian president said at Yerevan’s Zvartnots
airport in the evening of 24 November, on return from his private
journey to the USA.

“Apart from lack of progress, I have to say with deep regret that I
can see sad consequences – it is getting more complicated for us to
settle the Karabakh problem,” Levon Ter-Petrosyan said.

The ex-president said that he considered it impossible to return
the peace talks to the point where they were in 1997 when Levon
Ter-Petrosyan adopted the stage-by-stage settlement plan for the
Karabakh problem.

“We will not be able to get what we could get in 1997, even if God
comes down from heaven,” Levon Ter-Petrosyan noted.

Levon Ter-Petrosyan did not give a clear reply on prospects of his
return to politics.

“Returning to politics is not an end in itself for me. If there is
something I can do and I consider that my participation is necessary,
I shall not sit idle,” the Armenian ex-president said.