ARKADY GHOUKASSIAN: UNTIL ISSUE OF NAGORNO KARABAKH STATUS IS SPECIFIED, SPEAKING ABOUT ANY OTHER ISSUE IS SENSELESS
Noyan Tapan
Jun 07 2007
YEREVAN, JUNE 7, NOYAN TAPAN. "Some details have been discussed with
the Co-chairs today," NKR President Arkady Ghoukassian stated in his
June 6 interview to journalists summing up the results of his meeting
with OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs.
He said that he presented NKR’s position to the Co-chairs: "Our
position has not changed and will not change: until the issue of
Nagorno Karabakh status is specified, speaking about any other issue
is senseless," A. Ghukasian stated.
In his words, Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiations format is destructive
and not realistic. "We have agreed to that format, as we thought
that if for Azerbaijan it was easier to speak only with Armenia and
clarify with Armenia the principles connected with Karabakh, then
we are ready to tolerate this, but today life shows that the hopes
were not justified: our positions on Nagorno Karabakh status and in
general on settlement are very far from each other, and under these
conditions I consider senseless to discuss any other issue."
As regards issues of territories and refugees, the NKR President
said that these issues are not the reason, but the consequence of
the conflict: "Unless we come to an agreement in the issue of Nagorno
Karabakh status, it is natural that we are not ready to discuss any
issue of territory. Of course, this issue is always on the agenda,
but we are not ready to avoid discussion of the issues Azerbaijan is
anxious about but provided that Azerbaijan is ready to discuss the
issues we are anxious about."