VARDAN OSKANYAN: THE PRINCIPLES PRESENTED MEDIATORS ARE GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE
Tatul Hakobyan

"Radiolur"
03.07.2006 17:47

Today RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan once again declared that
official Yerevan considers the latest suggestions of the OSCE Minsk
Group Co-Chairs practically acceptable. Oskanyan expressed the hope
that Azerbaijan will also accept the mediators’ suggestions and
the talks will continue. According to the Foreign Minister, some
comments of the US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza in
his interview with radio "Liberty" were presented out of context. In
particular, Bryza has never advised Armenia to follow Azerbaijan’s
example in the issue of democracy. The Foreign Minister made these
statements during the joint press conference with the Diplomatic
Adviser to the President of France, dedicated to the arrangements in
the framework of the Year of France in Armenia.

"It is completely out of context. Mr. Bryza has never stated that
Armenia is less democratic. He said there has been positive progress
in Azerbaijan and expressed the hope that the same will occur in
Armenia. But he never mentioned the starting points from where this
progress comes from. I cannot infer from this statement that Armenia
is less democratic than Azerbaijan," Oskanyan said.

The Foreign Minister is confident that Armenia is several steps ahead
of Azerbaijan in regard to democracy. "The advantage of Armenia’s
level of democracy level over that of Azerbaijan is so apparent that
I cannot comment on Bryza ‘s statement in a different way," he said.

Oskanyan confirmed once again that official Yerevan accepts the latest
suggestions of the OSCE Minsk Group and expressed the hope that Baku
will do the same.

Let’s remind the major points of these suggestions: " Armenian
military units should be withdrawn from Azerbaijani territories around
Nagorno-Karabakh; special attention should be paid to Kelbajar and
Lachin regions.

For determining the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh it is
envisaged to hold a referendum or a general voting, the terms of which
have not been set so far. The referendum or the voting should come
in the result of a compromise agreement between the two sides. The
parties are obliged to continue the talks to decide upon the terms
and format of the referendum. International peacekeeping forces will
be deployed in the conflict zone."

"Today the principles on the table of negotiations are generally
acceptable for Armenia, and we are really ready to continue the talks
based on these principles, which, we consider, are all-embracing and
rather balanced, and it seems that a correct choice has been made in
regard to mutual concessions. We hope that the situation in Azerbaijan
will be reassessed, and there will be an opportunity to continue the
talks and achieve positive results," Vardan Oskanyan noted.

I it the time that the international community should directly impose
peace to the conflicting sides.

"This can be done when the positions of the parties are very close,
and when there remains some little issue, it can be expected that the
international community will be more decisive to bring the issue to
a final solution. I don’t know whether we are in a similar situation
today, but a year ago our positions were completely divergent. Some
rapprochement has been registered during the last year, but at this
point it’s hard for me to say whether the differences are so little
that we’ll reach the resolution of the issue incase the international
community exerts pressure on one or both sides," Vardan Oskanyan said
in response to "Radiolur" question.

During the joint press conference with the Diplomatic Adviser
to Jacques Chirac Laurent Biliis reference was made also to the
arrangements in the framework of the Year of Armenia in France, which
should start in September. Armenia is the third country, which has
the opportunity to hold its year in France.

Before this honor had been granted only to China and Brazil. Laurent
Biliis said France will spend 1.5-2 million Euros to hold the Year
of Armenia.