KOSOVO MAY SET PRECEDENT, ARMENIAN MINISTER SAYS

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 14 2006

Baku, March 13, AssA-Irada
If the people of Kosovo make the best of their right to
self-determination, this can set a precedent for the solution of
ethnic conflicts in other countries, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanian has said in an interview with Yerevan’s Shant TV channel.

Oskanian believes that if Kosovo fully secures independence, the
position of ethnic Armenians living in Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh will
be further boosted. He noted that all conflicts are different from
each other, but they should all be treated in the historical and
legal context.

The foreign minister went on to say that if his country capitalizes
on the current situation and if the parties to the conflict make
compromises in negotiations, it will be possible to speed up a
settlement.

“Otherwise, Azerbaijan will stick to its current position and no
progress will be made in the Garabagh talks,” Oskanian said. He
indicated that Armenia had already made some concessions, adding that
it wasn’t known how the Armenian people would react to them.