ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
March 29, 2005 Tuesday 9:02 AM Eastern Time

Armenia should join Europe without conflicts – speaker

By Tigran Liloyan

YEREVAN

Armenian parliament speaker Artur Bagdasaryan said the country
“should join the family of European states without conflicts.” He
made the statement as he opened a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday
over the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

“The Karabakh conflict should be settled on the basis of mutual
compromises, the safety of Nagorno Karabakh being the main issue,”
Bagdasaryan said.

The problem should have such a solution as to ensure dignity of our
people and free self-determination of Karabakh residents on the basis
of the principles of international law,” the speaker said underlining
that political speculations in this issue will avail nothing.

Taking part in the hearing was Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanyan who said there can be no military solution of the Nagorno
Karabakh problem.

“The Karabakh conflict cannot be settled under coercion, by a third
state or by adopting a document by an international organization,”
Oskanyan emphasized.

Armenia’s main approach envisions the right for Karabakh Armenians
for self-determination and its international acknowledgement, the
minister noted.

A settlement – including the elimination of consequences of military
actions, i.e. the liberation of the occupied territories – is only
possible if Azerbaijan recognizes this right which then should be
officially committed to record.

A new meeting between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan –
Robert Kocharyan and Ilkham Aliyev – will take place in May,
according to the minister.