INDEPENDENCE OF KARABAKH CANNOT BE BARGAINED AWAY
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
25 July 05
The recent progress in the direction of the settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict, however, did not result in signing of a political
document because, according to the NKR foreign minister Arman Melikian,
the very process did not undergo principal changes related to this
progress. During the press conference in the National Press Club of
Yerevan he mentioned that the topic of the talks is neither the
principles of the resolution nor the return of territories and
referendum on self-determination of Karabakh but the just forming
principles of the negotiations which have not existed before. According
to the foreign minister, it is pointless to consider returning
territories or holding a referendum on self-determination since there is
no atmosphere of mutual trust. In addition, the standpoints of the
parties are far from each other and the minister said it is therefore
unserious and impertinent to consider resolution. Arman Melikian thinks
that the government of Azerbaijan should display political will to
reconsider its approach to certain issues. In reference to the recent
statements of the Azerbaijani top officials the minister noticed that
they are not worth serious consideration for they are intended for the
internal audience and not more. Nevertheless, if Azerbaijan speaks about
territories and one million refugees, it should not forget to specify
that 500 thousand of these one million are Armenian refugees. The
minister of foreign affairs neither confirmed nor denied that Karabakh
may appear at the table of negotiations but not because Artsakh is not
prepared for the talks. On the contrary, Artsakh has always been ready
to become involved in the negotiations only if these are real
negotiations and not a mere game, since the participation of Karabakh,
according to the foreign minister, is not an end in itself. `We are
informed enough about the negotiations and we have all the possibilities
to react correspondingly,’ said the minister. In reference to compromise
the minister of foreign affairs said the limit of compromise is the
security of Karabakh. Not an inch of land can be ceded to Azerbaijan.
`The independence of Karabakh is indisputable and everybody knows this,’
stated Arman Melikian. According to the minister, the international
community takes the actual state of things into account. One of the
journalists asked if the minister thinks that some political document
may be signed during the Aliev ` Kocharian meeting in Kazan is possible;
Arman advised to abstain from making political forecasts.
CHRISTINE MNATSAKANIAN.
25-07-2005
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress