ARKADY GHUKASIAN.
Azat Artsakh Daily, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]
07-06-2007
"The authorities of Nagorno Karabakh assume the same attitude that
the negotiations are to be conducted in three-sided format with full
value participation of the representatives of Nagorno Karabakh. It’s
meaningless anticipating something supernatural from the meeting of
the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in St Petersburg", announced
the President of Nagorno Karabakh Arkadi Ghukasian after the meeting
with OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Kingdom of Spain Miguel Angel Moratinos. "The general problem of
the conflict is the status of Nagorno Karabakh, and if this problem
is not solved yet, there is no question of optimism. If there is
no agreement on the status of NKR, it’s meaningless to discuss the
other issues. There is another version: not to solve any problem,
it’s also a way of solving the problems. I understand that we cannot
demand 100 per cent in the negotiation process.
But I want to say again that the most important thing for us is the
status of Nagorno Karabakh", mentioned Arkadi Ghukasian. Anyway,
according to Arkadi Ghukasian the present format of the negotiations
is not logical: "We speak about the destiny of the people of Nagorno
Karabakh, and it’s incomprehensible why Nagorno Karabakh does not
directly participate in the negotiation process". At the same time,
whoever conducts the negotiation process, if it is in the interests of
the people of Nagorno Karabakh, it will be adopted. "Nagorno Karabakh
will never agree to be part of Azerbaijan and will never renounce its
independence. The rest is the issues of agenda and we are ready to
discuss them. Nagorno Karabakh will have the last word on this issue,
and our people will never agree with any decision that contradicts
the interests of Nagorno Karabakh", announced Arkadi Ghukasian.
What about the fact that Nagorno Karabakh was left behind the
negotiation process Arkadi Ghukasian thought that all of them were
guilty in it. "We understand that the present format of negotiations
will not contribute to the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict",
said the President of Nagorno Karabakh. To the question of "Azg"
daily "How much are the authorities of Nagorno Karabakh aware of the
discussed principles and do they agree with them?" Arkadi Khukasian
answered that there were no basic contradictions between Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh on the settlement of the conflict.
"Nagorno Karabakh has its own attitude, which must be taken into
account by the authorities of Armenia. It’s not always that we can
persist in our opinion", he said.