VARTAN OSKANIAN: DURING BRYZA’S VISIT ARMENIAN SIDE WILL AGAIN CONFIRM
ITS POSITION TOWARDS FRAME AGREEMENT

YEREVAN, JULY 14, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. "There is some
uncertainty in the negotiations process and we hope some clarifications
will be made during Matthew Bryza’s visit to the region to take place
soon," RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian declared at the July 14
press conference.

According to him, at the moment it is difficult to foresee the next
steps connected with the Nagorno Karabakh settlement. He said that for
the present, there is no issue of a new meeting between Armenian and
Azerbaijani Presidents. The Minister declared that he does not know,
with what proposals American Co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group, Matthew
Bryza is arriving in the region. He expressed a supposition that the
visit will rather have a cognitive character.

V.Oskanian said that during Bryza’s meeting the Armenian side will
again confirm its position, namely, acceptability of the frame
agreement proposed by the Co-chairmen.

He emphasized that these principles are difficult to fulfil for the
Armenian side and it will be also difficult to convince the people
and the political forces of these principles’ being acceptable. "No
matter how much non-ideal these principles are for us, we are ready
to assume this political responsibility and on the basis of these
principles we are ready to continue the negotiations and to achieve
peaceful settlement," Vartan Oskanian declared.

According to him, "the document on the negotiations table is not
an Armenian variant," but a document that was created as a result
of two-year negotiations. "I.e. this is a synthesis of Armenian and
Azerbaijani positions the Co-chairs present as a medium settlement of
the problem that takes into consideration the anxiety of both sides
and at the same time requires concessions from them."

He declared that the publication of the text of proposed agreement by
the Co-chairmen was a full unexpectedness for the Armenian side. At
the same time, the Minister added that he does not see any problem
here. "I think all this is good for us to prepare a sound discussion
on these issues in our society."

Oskanian agreed that there will be some forces in the society that
will occupy a sharp negative position in this issue. At the same time,
he declared that we should not undertake any efforts on convincing the
Armenian public until Azerbaijan gives its consent to the proposed
document. "If the document were ideal for us in all parameters,
irrespective of Azerbaijan’s position, I would convince people that the
document is good. But this is not ideal, but a compromise document,
in which the formula of right concessions has been found, and for
us this document could be a basis for conducting negotiations. And
if the Azerbaijani side has not given consent, why shall we start to
convince our people that the document is good?".

According to him, the time to convince will come when an agreement
is reached between the sides.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress