ARMENIAN MP RULES OUT THE VARIANT OF GIVING UP TERRITORIES "FOR NOTHING"

Regnum, Russia
Aug. 8, 2006

The Armenian National Revival opposition party strongly opposes the
idea of one-sided concessions in the issue of peaceful settlement
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Talking to a REGNUM correspondent,
the party leader MP Albert Bazeyan has called it too early to comment
on a possibility of giving in five areas, which are now treated as
Nagorno Karabakh security belt, to the Azeri side. "When there is an
official report, we shall express our opinion," Bazeyan notes.

Head of the faction of the Republican Party led by the country’s
prime minister Galust Sahakyan has announced that first the issue of
Nagorno Karabakh status should be settled, and after that all the rest.

Head of the National Unity party Artashes Geghamyan says, his
party will present its stand on giving in the territories after it
is officially announced. "We speak for soonest settlement of the
issue, as delaying it is not in the national interests of Armenia,"
Geghamyan believes.

In his turn, leader of the National Democratic Party, MP Shevarsh
Kocharyan rules out a possibility of Armenia reaching an agreement with
Azerbaijan and "giving up the territories for nothing." "To start,
the aspects should be made clear that are included in the settlement
package, and only after that they can be discussed and assessed,"
Shevarsh Kocharyan is quoted as saying.