Our principles unchanged

Yerkir.am
July 14, 2006

Kiro Manoyan, the director of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Bureau’s Political Affairs and Hay Dat Office, said on Tuesday that the
intention to settle the Karabakh conflict in 2006 is very optimistic
but unrealistic.

Speaking at a round table discussion with National Assembly member
Hmayak Haovhannisian, Manoyan said that it is unrealistic due to the
Azerbaijani president’s destructive position.

"The optimism was based on a sole fact that there will be no elections
in Armenia or Azerbaijan in 2006," Manoyan said. Hovhannisian, in
turn, said that Azerbaijan pursues an aggressive policy and is not
ready for any concession.

Manoyan also mentioned it was not right to say the negations are
deadlocked since Azerbaijan had no intention from the very beginning
to settle the conflict based on mutual compromise. He also added
that the only positive provision in the latest statement by the OSCE
Minsk group co-chairs is the inclusion of a provision that gives the
Karabakh people a right to self-determination.

Hovhannisian noted that the Karabakh negotiations have been
favorable for Armenia after 1998 because there was no mentioning
of a self-determination referendum in proposals made before 1998.
Manoyan said Stepanakert has never formulated a proper position
towards the liberated territories.

"The ARF position is that especially today that Nagorno Karabakh is
working on a constitution, Karabakh should declare its dominance
on those territories, " Manoyan said. "However, both Yerevan and
Stepanakert view those territories as part of compromise, something
we don’t agree with."

Manoyan said Karabakh’s agreement to hold a referendum is a compromise
in itself since it had conducted one years ago.

Manoyan also called the OSCE Minsk Group’s US co-chair’s statement an
inappropriate statement made by a newcomer because he (the co-chair)
revealed the proposals part-by-part while the official joint statement
was made only a week later.