KARABAKH GAINED INDEPENDENCE ON THE SAME LEGAL BASES AS AZERBAIJAN DID

Azg/arm
2 April 05

Vahram Atanesian and Gagik Petrosian, president and vice-president of
Standing Commission of Foreign Relations of the National Assembly of
NKR, called a press conference yesterday to speak about March 29-30
hearings in the National assembly of Armenia.

Vahram Atanesian underscored reports of RA foreign and defense
ministers that confirmed once again Armenia’s unshakeable stance in
the Karabakh issue, mainly focus on peaceful solution, excluding any
possibility of uniting Karabakh with Azerbaijan, inadmissibility to
leave Karabakh as an enclave and an international guarantee for
security.

Atanesian pointed out that the political forces of Armenia, regardless
any home issues, are united in standpoints over Karabakh issue and are
above every partial approach.

Atanesian said that the NKR foreign minister Arman Melikian presented
views of NKR whereas they spent their time in Armenia meeting
colleagues from both coalition and opposition.

Speaking of his personal approach, Atanesian noted that though two
separate state structures emerged after the collapse of the USSR, the
world community has recognized so far only one of them –
Azerbaijan. One cannot agree with this, as recognition of the
Azerbaijani Republic with Nagorno Karabakh in its structure will mean
recognizing the Soviet Azerbaijan.

Gagik Petrosian in his turn said that his views deal with the legal
status of NKR and that this aspect should be stressed in the talks. In
this regard, he emphasized fixing a state border with Azerbaijan.

Vahram Atanesian said that they were surprised to see such an
emotional attitude of colleagues in Armenia to former OSCE co-chairman
Vladimir Kazimirov’s political wordings. Atanesian said that though
Kazimirov is in retirement, he presented his countries views on the
Karabakh conflict.

Answering a question concerning the possibility of holding an
independence referendum, Atanesian said that it was held in December
10 of 1991 and there is no need of a new referendum. But if
international structures insist on it then we shall not turn it down;
the most important thing is to reconfirm the will of Artsakhi people.

By Kim Gabrielian in Stepanakert