Regnum, Russia
April 28 2006

`Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity has nothing to do with Nagorno
Karabakh’: Tigran Torossyan

`The territorial integrity of any country, and Azerbaijan, in
particular, should be respected, but it has nothing to do with
Nagorno Karabakh. Only one principle is applicable to Nagorno
Karabakh – the right of a nation to self-determination, which the NK
people exercised in full compliance with the Constitution of the
former USSR. And the OSCE Minsk Group also shares this view. So, here
we have no problem – Nagorno Karabakh is already self-determined,’ a
REGNUM correspondent in Stepanakert reports Deputy Speaker of the
Armenian Parliament Tigran Torossyan as saying at a briefing in the
capital of Nagorno Karabakh.

He said that today nobody disputes the right of the NK people to
self-determination. `I think that nobody doubts that, if held, a
repeated referendum on NK’s status will give similar results. And
even though NKR is yet not recognized de jure, it has excellent
prerequisites for that if it acts consistently,’ says Torossyan.

He considers absurd Azerbaijan’s talk about giving autonomous status
to Nagorno Karabakh. `Aliyev Senior, Aliyev Junior, and many Azeris
have kept saying from year to year, and, if not tired, may do that
for many years more, – even after the recognition of NKR’s
independence – that they are ready to give NK `a wide autonomy’
within Azerbaijan. Today Ilham Aliyev represents only Azerbaijan’s
position, which does not reflect the positions of the European
structures,’ Torossyan said. He noted that the European structures
have recently begun to actively discuss the Karabakh problem –
directly or indirectly. `In 2005 PACE passed resolution 14-16 on the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Just a few days ago they adopted a
resolution on refugees and are drafting a resolution on missing
people. All these issues are directly or indirectly related to the
Karabakh conflict. Besides, PACE has an ad hoc committee on the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Naturally, this work should be continued,
and it is very important that our parliaments keep in constant touch
with one another. We are ready to discuss any proposals by the NKR
parliament,’ Torossyan said.

Even though the European structures and PACE, in particular,
constantly say that they are not going to search for solutions to the
Karabakh problem, the Council of Europe notes that its task is to
create a favorable atmosphere for its resolution – as this is in line
with its general mission. `These tasks are formulated in Resolution
14-16, containing an urge to stop militarist statements and hatred
propaganda, and the PACE ad hoc committee will watch how this
resolution is fulfilled,’ Torossyan said. He informed that in October
2006 the committee will come to Stepanakert on a fact-finding visit.