OSKANIAN: "WE HAVE AGREED TO EACH OF THE CORE PRINCIPLES OF THE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT ON THE SETTLEMENT OF THE CONFLICT"

Today, Azerbaijan
URL:
Sept 26 2006

One cannot blame Armenia for thinking that Azerbaijan is not ready
or interested in a negotiated peace, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian stated at the 61st session of the UN General Assembly.

"Yet, having rejected the other two compromise solutions that have
been proposed over the last 8 years, they do not want to be accused
of rejecting the peace plan on the table today. Therefore, they are
using every means available to try to bring the Armenians to do the
rejecting. But Armenia is on record: we have agreed to each of the
basic principles in the document that’s on the table today. Yet, in
order to give this or any document a chance, Azerbaijan can’t think,
or pretend to think, that there is still a military option. There
isn’t. The military option is a tried and failed option. Compromise
and realism are the only real options. Garabagh succeeded in ensuring
its self-defense, it proceeded to set up self-governance mechanisms,
and it controls its borders and its economy. Formalizing this process
is a necessary step toward stability in our region," Oskanian stressed.

Armenian Minister said he is closely following Kosovo peace process
stressing that this can be a precedent for the solution of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict, APA reports.

He said Azerbaijan’s intention to patronize "Nagorno Karabakh
population" cannot be understood and is unacceptable.