ARMAN MELIKIAN: THE SIDES’ POSITIONS ARE TOO FAR FROM EACH OTHER

Azg/arm
22 July 05

Independence of Nagorno Karabakh is No Subject of Bargain

The process of Nagorno Karabakh conflict regulation is marking advance
in the recent months but there are no serious changes, NKR foreign
minister told a press conference yesterday. “The sides’ positions
[in the talks] are too far from each other. There are no concrete
results”, minister Arman Melikian said.

Azerbaijani deputy foreign ministerm, Araz Azimov, announce several
days ago that the sides are close to the peace as never. The foreign
minister Elmar Mammediarov said on his part that the “talks carry on
in the context of Azerbaijan’s territorial wholeness and constitution”.

NKR foreign minister does not exclude that official Baku’s mass media
targets another audience. “The independence of Nagorno Karabakh is no
subject of bargain. They know it in Baku and Yerevan and the co-chairs
are well aware of that”, Melikian said.

During a regional visit of the OSCE Minsk group co-chairmen on
July 10-16, American co-chair Steven Mann said that “there is a
good possibility for a serious progress” but “the possibility does
not guarantee that it will happen. The positions of the sides are
incomparably closer today than last summer or winter”. Russian
co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov stated that the mediators are working on
“formulations”.

Arman Melikian pointed out yesterday that it’s meaningless and
untimely to speak of visible progress and that today we can speak
only of specifying principles of the regulation. “The principles are
not formed so far”, he said.

Minister Melikian emphasized that Stepanakert “is moderately informed
about the negotiations” but “the talks today are carrying on between
Armenia and Azerbaijan and I would be mistaken to say that we take
part in the talks”. Melikian thinks that Karabakh has to join the
talks process.

The Karabakh side is visibly dissatisfied with the negotiation format
and the way Yerevan, Baku and the co-chairmen conduct. Official Baku
is ready to negotiate with Nagorno Karabakh but not as a side in the
conflict but as the Armenian community of Azerbaijan.

The stance of officials in Yerevan over this issue is controversial.
Foreign minister Vartan Oskanian threatens Azerbaijan to come out of
the negotiation process leaving Baku face to face with Stepanakert.
But Armenian President Robert Kocharian thinks that Karabakh takes
part in the negotiations. “Nagorno Karabakh is an active participant
of the talks… I present the interests of Artsakh at our meetings
with the Azeri President. We will certainly strive for including NKR
in that format. I think we will succeed”, President Kocharian told
Golos Armenii on February 26.

Speaking of placing a peacekeeping contingent in the conflict zone,
Melikian said, “We prefer not to see foreign forces [in the region].
We simply don’t need them today”. Concerning the threats of the
Cypriot government to Azerbaijan to organize flights from Nicosia to
Stepanakert in case Baku sends its panes to the Turkish sector of the
island, Melikian said that “neither Greek no Cypriot authorities have
turned to them with this issue but if they do they will be satisfied”.

NKR foreign minister labeled unserious the statement by Azeri
authorities to realize an investment of millions of dollars once
Karabakh conflict is settled. Arman Melikian reminded late 80s
when Moscow was allocating money for socio-economic development of
Karabakh but Azerbaijan was spending it on the needs of Azeri villages,
particularly Khojalu.

By Tatoul Hakobian