“AZERBAIJAN READY TO RECOGNIZE KARABAKH’S RIGHT FOR SELF-DETERMINATION”

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| 14:43:04 | 06-09-2005 | Politics |

Upon completion of the meeting with OSCE Chairman-in-Office Dimitrij
Rupel NKR President Arkady Ghukasyan answered reporters’ questions.

-Do you see any progress in the Karabakh conflict settlement and what
is your position on conduction of a referendum in the NKR?

-It it hard to say whether there is progress or not. Anyway there are
definitely some positive elements. I think that Azerbaijan has entered
a more constructive field. As for the referendum, in my opinion,
the fact that Azerbaijan is ready to recognize Karabakh’s right for
self-determination is positive.

-What do you think about the format of the negotiations between the
Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents?

-These meetings cannot be referred to the OSCE Minsk Group format. I
rate the Kocharian-Aliyev talks as positive, however these talks
cannot be complete without NKR’s participation. Meanwhile the Minsk
Group has limited its activities to the format of visits.

-Taking into consideration the current situation, do you rule out
the possibility of repetition of the scenario of 1998?

-I think history is not likely to repeat, thus repetition can be
excluded.

-Your meeting with Mr. Rupel lasted longer than scheduled. What was
the reason for it?

-I suppose the meeting was interesting for both of us. We did not
complete our meeting, since it was impossible to discuss all the
issues. Anyway the fact that the Chairman-in-Office visits the region
for the second time is extraordinary in itself.

-Why extraordinary?

-He wishes to speed up the settlement of the conflict

-Do you think the conflict can be resolved till the end of the
current year?

-It’s not real

-Today Ilham Aliyev made some militaristic statements. Do you thinks
it’s a part of election campaign or a real threat?

-Aliyev is likely to be solving inner political problems, however it
impedes the process.

-Do you imagine Karabakh’s status lower than the status of
independence?

-It’s like to be “a bit pregnant”.

To note, yesterday Ankady Ghukasyan touched upon the inadmissibility
of a stepwise settlement of the conflict. “Karabakh can agree on a
stepwise settlement only in case our own issues are settled first”,
he noted.