ROBERT KOCHARYAN: RESOLUTION OF CONFLICTS SHOULD NOT BE REGARDED AS PRECONDITION FOR ESTABLISHING DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 17 2006

Armenia attaches great importance to regional cooperation, RA President
Robert Kocharyan said in his yesterday’s speech in Bertelsmann Fund
in Berlin.

Armenia attaches great importance to regional cooperation. We believe
that the resolution of conflicts itself should not be regarded as
a precondition for establishing dialogue and cooperation. Rather,
the regional cooperation should be watched as a great trust-building
measure, aimed at resolving existing disagreements.

It is obvious, that unresolved conflicts hamper the process
of natural development of the South Caucasus. That is why we
are committed to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabagh
conflict. OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs works hard to bring closer our
positions. Unfortunately, despite active negotiations underway, there
is little room for optimism. Our principle stand is that the people
of Karabagh have implemented their right for self-determination. It
has been done in full compliance with the international law. Many
currently independent states came into existence after former empires
perished. Independence of Nagorno Karabagh was attained at the time
of collapse of the Soviet Union. Moreover, it was the time of the end
of the grand ideological divide. Nagorno Karabagh has never been a
part of independent Azerbaijan. Through a successful construction
of its statehood Nagorno Karabagh Republic has proved its right
for existence. It regularly conducts democratic presidential and
parliamentary elections. We witness the development of the civil
society. A generation has already grown up, which considers itself to
be the embodiment and safeguard of that statehood. We do not recall
any case of a nation willingly putting it down independence it has
been enjoying for over 15 years. No one has intention to do it in case
of Karabagh. We speak about irreversible changes that took place in
the people’s mentality, R. Kocharyan said.