KIRO MANOYAN: AZERBAIJAN DID NOT AGREE TO PROPOSED VARIANT, WHAT ELSE
SHALL WE ARGUE ABOUT?
YEREVAN, JULY 12, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The optimism expressed
by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs on the settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict in 2006 was not grounded. Kiro Manoyan, Executive of
the ARF Dashnaktsutiun Bureau Hay Dat and Political Office, declared
this at the July 11 dispute at the Hayeli (Mirror) club.
According to him, Azerbaijan from the very start was not disposed
to solve the issue through mutual concessions. According to Manoyan,
for the Azerbaijani President, the negotiations were means of gaining
time, as he sets his hopes on funds to be received from oil and on
solving the problem with the the help of these funds through a war.
Manoyan declared that the Dashnaktsutiun is against the variant of
Nagorno Karabakh settlement proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs,
as it contains a provision to cede the liberated territories and
the conditions of the referendum to be held for the purpose of
self-determination are not precisely mentioned in it. "Our approach
is that first the issue of status should be solved the way it should
not cause commentaries. As far as the issue of status is unsolved,
the Artsakh issue is not solved for us and it is senseless to speak
about other concessions," he emphasized.
According to Manoyan, the only positive point in the settlement
variant published lately is that the Co-chairmen, in fact, declare
that they see no other approach of settlement but to recognize
Nagorno Karabakh’s right of self-determination.
Manoyan stated that official Stepanakert and official Yerevan express
readiness to cede the liberated territories to Azerbaijan. Whereas,
the ARFD considers that NKR should stipulate its current factual
borders in the newly worked out Constitution.
According to him, refusing to take away new territories from
Azerbaijan or to resume the war can be considered as a concession on
the part of Armenia.
Besides, holding a new referendum in NKR is already a concession, as
Nagorno Karabakh has once expressed its position through a referendum.
Though the Dashnaktsutiun does not like the proposed variant of
settlement, nevertheless, according to Manoyan, the party is not going
to instigate a dispute in the society for the purpose of preserving
stability in the country.
"I do not think the time has come for us to start an argument in the
country, Azerbaijan did not agree to this variant, what else shall
we argue about?"
Kiro Manoyan declared.