VAHAN HOVHANNISIAN: IN KARABAKH PROCESS NEGOTIATIONS WITH AZERBAIJAN
SHOULD BE NO LONGER CONSIDERED AS FIRST AND FOREMOST

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The official Yerevan is not going
to make more concessions that those being spoken about for already
several years. Vahan Hovhannisian, RA NA Vice-Speaker, member of the
ARF Dashnaktsutiun Bureau, declared this at the April 20 meeting at the
National Press Club. “I think that the negotiations strategy, as well
as statements made for the purpose of presenting Armenia in a more
beneficial position in the negotiations process for making progress
in the negotiations should not be mixed with the ultimate aim,”
he mentioned commenting upon RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian’s
statement that the Armenian side is ready to delay the discussion
of the issue of Nagorno Karabakh status for some time. Oskanian, in
particular, had declared that “if Azerbaijan agrees to the reality
that the Nagorno Karabakh people has the right of self-determination,
that can be used not immediately but in the future, the Armenian
side is ready to immediately discuss the issues connected with
liquidation of the consequences of the conflict – territories,
refugees, other issues connected with security”. “After all, if
Azerbaijan once admits that it recognizes the Nagorno Karabakh’s right
of self-determination, it can retract its words with difficulty in
the future”, Vahan Hovhannisian emphasized. According to the speaker,
such statements voiced by the Armenian side show that henceforth not
such a great importance is attached to what Azerbaijan will do or
will say. According to him, today the negotiations with Azerbaijan
should be no longer considered as the first and foremost issue on
the agenda. The first and foremost should be the efforts of Armenians
aimed at Nagorno Karabakh recognition in the international sphere in
this or that way, which will contribute to Azerbaijan’s taking more
conciliatory position.