ARMENIA BLASTS GUAM CRITICISIM OF KARABAKH VOTE
By Emil Danielyan

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep
Dec 7 2006

Armenia condemned on Thursday Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova for
joining Azerbaijan in strongly criticizing Sunday’s referendum
in Nagorno-Karabakh on a constitution that declares the disputed
territory an independent state.

In a joint statement issued earlier this week, the foreign ministers
of the four ex-Soviet states making up the so-called GUAM grouping
expressed serious concern at the holding of the referendum, saying
that it will undermine international efforts to resolve the Karabakh
conflict. The vote can not be legitimate because it runs counter to
Azerbaijan’s constituion and international law, they charged.

Foreign Minister denounced the GUAM statement as "misguided." "Once
again, Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova are playing into the hands of
Azerbaijan by meddling into an issue which does not concern them,"
he said in written comments released by his office.

Oskanian said that the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has
built a "lawful, well-regulated internal governance system" and
therefore has a legitimate right for a basic law. He also insisted
that the vote will not roll back considerable progress made in recent
Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks.

"Just the opposite. At the core of the negotiations to reach a peaceful
resolution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is the right of the people
of Nagorno Karabakh for self-determination," argued Oskanian.