CHAIRMAN OF DEMOCRATIC PARTY CONSIDERS IT DANGEROUS THAT ARMENIA NEGOTIATES AROUND PRINCIPLES UNACCEPTABLE TO ARMENIAN SIDE

Noyan Tapan
Jun 08 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 8, NOYAN TAPAN. It is not important whether Robert
Kocharian will sign a document on Karabakh conflict settlement
principles or not at the upcoming meeting with Azerbaijani president
Ilham Aliyev. It is dangerous that Armenia is conducting negotiations
around principles unacceptable to the Armenian side, the chairman of
the Democratic Party of Armenia Aram sargsian said during a talk with
NT correspondent.

According to him, negotiating on the return of territories considered
as Azerbaijani ones, the Armenian side did not raise the issue of
Shahumian, Getashen, Martunashed and other Armenian territories
occupied by Azerbaijan.

The matter concerns the return of Azerbaijani refugees, whereas the
problem of 400 thousand Armenian refugees who have not received any
compensation has never been raised during negotiations.

The Armenian side has agreed to return all 7 regions against a
referendum on status of Karabakh, while holding such a referendum in a
particular area is not envisaged by the Constitution of Azerbaijan. In
the opinion of Aram Sargsian, all problems will not be solved even if
Azerbaijan accepts the idea of Karabakh’s de jure independence. In
his words, Azerbaijan is responsible for the consequences of the
war unleashed by it, and all issues related to elimination of these
consequences should be solved by a peace agreement.

A. Sargsian said that the depolyment of NATO forces in the territories
adjacent to Nagorno Karabakh (there has been no such need so far)
is fraught with the danger of violating the balance of forces in the
region. As a result of the presence of NATO forces, Armenia’s relations
with Iran and Russia will become tense. Finally, the deployment of
such military units in Kosovo, Iraq, etc. strained the sitiation in
these areas.

He expressed an opinion that only the participation of Nagorno Karabakh
in negotiations will make them legitimate. "It is no accident that
Arkady Ghukasian had to make tough statements once again. It is
impossible to regulate the problem without Nagorno Karabakh, and
everybody realizes it," A. Sargsian stated.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress