ARKADI GHUKASIAN: ATTEMPTS TO ARTIFICALLY ISOLATE KARABAKH SIDE FROM
NEGOTIATION PROCESS ARE MADE

STEPANAKERT, December 21 (Noyan Tapan). As before the efforts
of political leadership of Nagorno Karabakh Republic are aimed at
achievement of final peace settlement of the conflict with Azerbaijan
on the basis of principles completely reflecting the will of NKR
people. NKR President Arkadi Ghukasian declared this during the
December 16 extended consultation of all branches of Nagorno Karabakh
power held in Stepanakert. The President regretted to say that “at
the current stage of the peace process proceeding under the aegis of
co-chairmanship of OSCE Minsk Group attempts to artificially isolate
the Karabakh side are made.” Meanwhile he gave assurance that the very
circumstance doesn’t permit to give a new impulse to the negotiations
capable of developing everything positive achieved during the previous
10 years with the efforts of the conflicting sides and international
mediation. “The ineffective position of Baku authorities in no way
willing to take into consideration not only the reality but also
the interests of world and regional states, including Azerbaijan’s
allies, in fact, led the negotiation process to a deadlock, the way
out of which is impossible without Karabakh’s participation in it as
an equal side,” Arkadi Ghukasian emphasized. According to him, the
way out of the crisis will be found and the efforts of co-chairmen
of OSCE Minsk Group will give noticeable positive results in case
of Azeri leadership’s good will and real willingness to settle the
conflict on the basis of reasonable compromises. According to the
Information-Analytical Department of NKR Foreign Ministry, Arkadi
Ghukasian confirmed the readiness of NKR leadership for negotiations,
including direct dialogue with the official Baku, for joint discussion
of all issues concerning perspectives of Nagorno Karabakh’s future
interrelations with Azerbaijan. “But the Baku authorities seem not
to have refused of nonsensical and suicidal intentions to solve
the problem by forcible methods, which compels us to continue
taking measures for strengthening the defence capacity of NKR,
rise of fighting efficiency of our army, which is the most reliable
guarantee of security of the state and Nagorno Karabakh people,”
Arkadi Ghukasian declared. The President especially mentioned that
in spite of non-settlement of the conflict and non-recognition of
Nagorno Karabakh Republic the authority of the republic as de facto
independent state is growing day by day. “This is mainly explained by
the fact that the Nagorno Karabakh people managed not only to defend
its liberty in the detructive war thrusted upon by Azerbaijan and to
overcome its grave consequences in a comparatively short term, but
also to lay rather firm foundation first of all at the legislative
level for building a really democratic state loyal to the values of
the modern civil society. In other words, we established a political
system in the country, which calls forth the respect of the progressive
international society,” Arkadi Ghukasian mentioned.