PARLIAMENTARY HEARINGS TOOK PLACE IN NAGORNO KARABAKH
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[07:39 pm] 25 April, 2006
Hearings on subject “Karabakh problem: settlement perspectives” took
place in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic National Assembly. Besides
NKR NA deputies, a parliamentary delegation from Armenia headed by
Chairman of the Permanent Commission on Foreign Relations of the RA
National Assembly Armen Roustamian, a number of Armenian political
scientists and experts, representatives of the NKR non-governmental
sector took part in the hearings.
The hearings were opened by Chairman of the NKR NA Permanent Commission
on Foreign Relations Vahram Atanesian. Chairman of the Parliament
Ashot Ghoulian greeted the participants.
The Speaker, in particular, noted that Artsakh had always been and
remained in the centre of the Armenian world’s attention. At the same
time, he noted the importance of defining the positions and opinions of
the groups and factions represented in the Parliament, the political
forces of the NKR on the process of the Karabakh conflict settlement,
possible developments in the context of the Karabakh problem. According
to Ashot Ghoulian, the hearings will become an important prerequisite
for organizing similar discussions on the key issues of the Karabakh
settlement in future.
“For the people and authorities of the NKR, the solution of the
problem starts from the results of the 1991 referendum, according to
which the Armenians of Artsakh unambiguously said “yes” to the idea
of independence accepting building of an independent statehood as
a strategy. Naturally, the activity of the whole political system
including that of the NKR National Assembly is directed to the
achievement of this aim”, Ashot Ghoulian said.
In his speech, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic Georgy Petrossian noted that the disrespect for the right of
the Nagorno Karabakh people lay in the base of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. In this context, he stressed that when the Karabakh
people claimed its right on self-determination the political demand
transferred into ethnic cleanings by Azerbaijan. At the same time,
the Minister noted that “independence is not an end in itself for
the NKR but a possibility to live and develop on its own land”.
Georgy Petrossian noted that when the political process did not
consider the right of a people, a collision of interests of the parties
took place. At the same time, the Minister stressed that Baku had
actually transferred the solution of the problem from the political
field into the field of military confrontation. He expressed pity that
the mediators ignored the results of the referendum on independence
in Nagorno Karabakh.
The head of the Karabakh Foreign Ministry spoke for signing an
agreement by the parties on giving up force usage.
Answering the questions of the hearings participants, the Minister
noted that the Karabakh party was always aware of the contents of
the negotiations between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. At
the same time, Georgy Petrossian stressed that it did not mean that
the Karabakh party agreed with all the issues.
The Minister stressed the inadmissibility of using “the Karabakh card”
with any personal or corporative views.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress