VARDAN OSKANIAN: IT IS POSSIBLE TODAY TO FIX RIGHT OF NKR PEOPLE FOR SELF-DETERMINATION

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22. ARMINFO. There is a serious possibility
today to fix the right of the people of Nagorny Karabakh for
self-determination. Minister of foreign affairs of Armenia Vardan
Oskanian stated during the press conference at the National press club.

According to him, the possibility of that today is obvious during
the “Prague process”. Oskanian said, though in general the Karabakh
side is present at the process, which is also expressed in that the
cochairmen during the visits to the region visit Nagorny Karabakh and
meet with representatives of Karabakh authorities, but is’s a fact
that Karabakh does not take part in the Prague process and it does
not promote sooner solution to the problem or progress in the process.

“It would be better if Karabakh took part in the process”, the minister
mentioned. According to him, the only reason for Karabakh does not take
part in the negotiations, is the refusal of Azerbaijan. “Today Armenia
has to chose – to insist on the participation of Karabakh and renounce
continuation of the negotiation, or to conduct negotiations without
Karabakh in order the negotiations were not broken”, the foreign
minister of Armenia said. According to him, however hard Azerbaijan
tries to present it as a problem between Azerbaijan and Armenia, all,
including the cochairmen of the OSCE MInsk Group realize it’s the
problem of Karabakh and Azerbaijan. “Simply Armenia has undertaken the
negotiations only because refuses negotiations with Karabakh. Armenia
is conducting negotiations, but in a certain moment the participation
of Nagorny Karabakh will become inevitable”, the foreign minister said.

Answering the question on the reasons for the non-participation of
Karabakh in the negotiations, the minister reminded about the process
of the Minsk Group, stopped after March, 1997. “The only possibility of
Karabakh’s participation in the negotiations is within the framework of
the process of the Minsk Group. It was determined by a decision of the
minister meeting of OSCE in 1992. If there is not process, there is not
legal basis for Karabakh’s participation in this process.” According to
the minister, just after the Lisbon summit Azerbaijan began to speak
from other positions. Since them moment when the process of Minsk
Group is resumed Karabakh will legally take part in the negotiations.