Karabakh’s recognition basis for conflict settlement – NKR minister

Mediamax news agency
7 Jul 06

Yerevan, 7 July: The defence minister of the Nagornyy Karabakh republic
[NKR], Lt-Gen Seyran Oganyan, said in Stepanakert today that "as long
as the NKR has not been recognized, we do not intend to return the
territories that serve as a security belt for us".

Speaking at a news conference in Stepanakert today, Seyran Oganyan
said that Karabakh is in favour of only a peaceful settlement of the
conflict, "but Azerbaijan thrust a war upon us and we had to resolve
the problem in a military way," Mediamax reports.

The minister said that "the territories under the control of Nagornyy
Karabakh are not an end in itself, but serve as a security zone for
the quiet life of the republic".

The general stressed that the issue of territories and the deployment
of an international peacekeeping contingent can be considered only
at the last stage of the settlement after the resolution of the main
problem – the determination of the legal status of Nagornyy Karabakh.

"If the main issue of the settlement process is not solved, there
can be no talk about returning the territories," the NKR defence
minister said.

Speaking about a possible resumption of hostilities in the light
of Azerbaijan’s militarist statements, Seyran Oganyan expressed the
opinion that "Azerbaijan does not wish to start a war".

In the minister’s opinion, Baku’s militarist rhetoric pursues only
domestic political goals. At the same time, the Nagornyy Karabakh
defence army has a plan of effective countermeasures to defend the
republic, Seyran Oganyan said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress