ARAM SARGSYAN STATED STATUS QUO SHOULD BE MAINTAINED IN NK SETTLEMEN’S PRESENT PHASE

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 28 2006

The Armenian party is in pitiful position in the Karabakh conflict
settlement process, RA Democratic Party leader, RA NA deputy Aram G.
Sargsyan stated in the course of a press conference held today.

While commenting on the OSCE Minsk group U.S. Co-Chair Matthew Bryza’s
interview and RA MFA statement following it, Aram G. Sargsyan stated
the U. S. Co-Chair had again reaffirmed what had been repeatedly
said. According to the politician, RA leadership has actually agreed to
a treacherous, in the deputy’s opinion, conflict settlement option. In
part, in the deputy’s words, the matter obviously concerns surrender
of five and a half regions (five regions + Kelbajar) forming the NKR
security belt and peacemaking forces’ dislocation in the conflict
zone. We are offered to hold a nation-wide referendum in Karabakh
to determine the region’s status instead. However, according to Aram
G. Sargsyan, to surrender the territories in exchange for the conduct
of the referendum in uncertain future is inadmissible.

In the Armenian politician’s opinion, Matthew Bryza’s statement can be
explained by the US’s desire to settle the issue of NATO’s involvement
in the South Caucasus region and resolve the Iranian issue as soon as
possible. According to the politician, a map with signs of the sites
of the peacemakers’ dislocation has already been drawn up. However, in
case we agree to the peacemaking forces’ dislocation in the conflict
zone, which, in the politician’s words, will be the NATO forces,
Armenia will become Iran’s enemy number one.

Answering the question why the Azeri party does not assent to such
a profitable option, Aram Sargsyan answered: "Appetite comes with
eating. Seeing Armenia’s compromise stand, Azerbaijan sets up more
claims".

According to Aram G. Sargsyan, the NKR authorities will never
consent to this settlement option. In this connection he expressed
perplexity over lack of the NKR leadership’s response to RA MFA
statement. In its turn, RA leadership’s agreement can result in
the aggravation of internal political situation and repetition of
events of 1998. In the opposition politician’s opinion, in such a
situation RA President will soon face the choice: either to resign
or go to unprecedented repressions. According to the politician, the
only settlement option favorable for the Armenian party at present is
maintenance of status quo, which will enable to gain time and attempt
to change the negotiation process in our favor.

Aram G. Sargsyan stated all the options being discussed in the course
of the Karabakh talks should be declassified. Moreover, the politician
requested that the public should be enlisted to the discussion of the
present option of the settlement’s basic principles. He is convinced
that the RA public should respond to the present situation in the
Karabakh talks.