Armenian minister rejects Azeri autonomy idea for Karabakh

Armenian minister rejects Azeri autonomy idea for Karabakh

Mediamax news agency
16 May 05

Yerevan, 16 May: Armenia cannot accept Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev’s proposal to give Nagornyy Karabakh “the highest status of
autonomy”, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said in Warsaw
today.

This was announced by Oskanyan when asked to comment on Aliyev’s
remarks at the Council of Europe summit, a Mediamax news agency
correspondent reported from Warsaw.

The head of the Armenian Foreign Ministry said that autonomy is “a
stage which is over” for the Armenians of Nagornyy Karabakh. “They
possessed this autonomy as part of Azerbaijan under the Soviet Union
and were discriminated against by the Azerbaijani authorities,”
Oskanyan said.

He also criticized the statement by Aliyev that Armenia has occupied
Azerbaijan’s territory. Armenia had to intervene after Azerbaijan
waged a war against the peaceful population of Nagornyy Karabakh
in their drive towards self-determination, Oskanyan said. “We are
conducting talks with Azerbaijan today only because the authorities of
this country strongly reject any contacts with the Nagornyy Karabakh
authorities,” Oskanyan said.

He described as “positive” the meeting between the Armenian and
Azerbaijani presidents which took place in Warsaw on 15 May. Oskanyan
expressed the hope that bilateral efforts aimed at finding a long-term
solution to the Nagornyy Karabakh problem would continue.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress