KARABAKH ISSUE TO BE SOLVED VIA REFERENDUM

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12-07-2005

`Robert Kocharyan is not empowered to make decision on behalf of
Karabakh. Who is the President of Armenia if he has not recognized the
independence of Nagorno Karabakh and has not declared Karabakh to be
inseparable from Armenia?’ RA President’s former advisor on foreign
relations Aram G. Sargsyan said when commenting of the possible
resolution of the conflict.

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs will arrive in Armenia one of these
days, then they will make for Karabakh. In the opinion of the
Co-Chairs a `considerable progress was achieved’. According to the
preliminary agreement it means that a referendum can be held in
Karabakh within nest 10-15 years, conveyance of 5 regions to
Azerbaijan, opening of the Armenian-Turkish border, unblocking of the
communications and deployment of peacekeepers in the security area.

Justice bloc member Aram G. Sargsyan considers such settlement
inadmissible for Armenia. `If we agree to conduct a referendum in 10
years, we will give up for lost the whole process starting from
1988. The referendum held in 1991 with the participation of
international observers confirmed the independence of Karabakh from
Azerbaijan. Besides it should be noted that the people residing in
Karabakh before 1988 took part in the referendum. If 40 thousand
Azeris lived there at that time, now the number can make 160
thousand. Such demographic changes can lead to unfavorable results.

Aram Sargsyan noted that in case of returning the land the matter
concerned the determination of status but not conduction of a
referendum. `Robert Kocharyan yielded to Aliyev’s demand to start all
over again. Moreover he agreed to return territories thus jeopardizing
Karabakh’s security’, he stated.

Can Karabakh disagree with the decision and the process will reach a
deadlock? `Sure. I am aware of the position of the Karabakh leadership
and support it’, Aram Sarsgyan said.

`Any decision should be coordinated with the will and consent of the
people of Armenia and Karabakh. It can be achieved via parliamentary
discussions and referendum’, he resumed.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress