Armenia insists on Nagorno Karabakh self-determination

ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 20 2005

YEREVAN, May 20 (Itar-Tass) — Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanyan said his country sees the only possible way for the
resolution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict in the recognition of the
self-determination status of the territory.

“For us there can be only one solution of the conflict – the
recognition of Nagorno Karabakh self-determination”, he told the
national TV late on Thursday.

The discussion of the principle that Nagorno Karabakh cannot be
an enclave on the territory of Azerbaijan is out of the question,
he added.

Oskanyan assessed the recent talks between Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Warsaw as
“not bad”.

“Although small, the progress reached at the meeting is within out
settlement ideas. This progress does not concern a return to Azerbaijan
of occupied territories, but rather concern the most important issue
for Armenia – the status of Nagorno Karabakh”, he said.

Oskanyan said the foreign ministers of both countries “have exhausted
their possibilities” in the framework of the so-called Prague process,
which included their consultations on Karabakh settlement. However,
after the meeting of the presidents the ministers have to meet again.

Oskanyan believes the parties will “sooner or later come to the
elements of the settlement package”, which includes the status of
Nagorno Karabakh, the return of the occupied territories, the return
of refugees, and security guarantees to Karabakh residents.

The minister said there are both likeliness in approaches and serious
contradictions on the mentioned issues.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress