ARAM G. SARGSIAN: ARMENIA IS NOT OBLIGED TO GIVE ANYTHING TO AZERBAIJAN AGAINST KARABAKH’S INDEPENDENCE

Noyan Tapan
Dec 02 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Instead of presenting its
actions during the Minsk negotiations on the Nagorno Karabakh
problem, the Armenian side comments on the statements of Azerbaijani
officials. Chairman of the Democratic Party of Armenia Aram G. Sargsian
stated this at the December 2 press conference. Addressing the
Armenian authorities, he said: "If you did not agree to return these
7 territories, say this directly. If you did not agree to deploy
peacekeeping forces in this region, say directly. If you raised
the issue of Armenian refugees’ return together with Azerbaijani
refugees, state this." In the opinion of A. Sargsian, all the above
mentioned principles are unacceptable for Armenia. He said that he
had asked the Armenian foreign minister: "If there had not been war
and Armenia had not liberated these territories, what would we had
conceded to Azerbaijan for Karabakh’s independence?" The speaker
stated that Armenia is not obliged to give anything to Azerbaijan
against Karabakh’s independence. According to him, if Armenia does
not take the issue of these territoriies’ return out of the framework
of negotiations, it is viewed as an aggressor. A. Sargsian noted that
today the West can impose its will on the Armenian authorities with
respect to the solution of the Karabakh problem, because it has facts
about the authorities’ being illegimate and can publish these facts
any time if the Armenian authorities refuse to obey it.