VAHAN HOVHANNISYAN: KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE WILL BECOME A PRECEDENT
ArmRadio.am
18.06.2007 16:46
Statements that the OSCE Minsk Group for Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement has exhausted itself is an Azerbaijani idea and the Armenian
side must not pick up the idea, member of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun
Bureau, Vice-Speaker of RA National Assembly Vahan Hovhannisyan
announced at a news conference in Yerevan today. He said that the
OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs have done a serious work and none of
international institutions like the Council of Europe, or the UN or
even the CIS, has such a professional and peculiar team like the OSCE
Minsk Group. "It is too early now to state the task of the group is
exhausted. We are satisfied with their activity and we see development,
a more profound understanding of the issue and reflection of this
understanding in the documents they propose, which naturally angers
Azerbaijan," the Vice-Speaker said.
Mr. Hovhannisyan believes that under the current circumstances the
OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs have done the utmost. Despite alternative
statements made by Armenia and Azerbaijan, they managed to create
a document that at least was capable of becoming a basis for the
settlement. The problem is Azerbaijan’s position, NA Vice-Speaker
believes. "I believe that from now on Armenia must toughen its
position and introduce two tasks into the agenda: until Azerbaijan
announces what concessions it is ready to make, we shall not discuss
the issue. The second task is Nagorno Karabakh’s participation in
the negotiation process," he stressed.
According to Vahan Hovhannisyan, at present Azerbaijan does not give up
attempts to transfer the s issue from the OSCE to the United Nations.
"Azerbaijan understands that many Muslim countries are represented in
the UN that do not understand the gist of the conflict, but they will
vote for a pro-Azerbaijani resolution out of religious solidarity, as
it often happens," the politician stressed. Commenting on statements
that recognition of Kosovo independence cannot become a precedent
for settling other territorial conflicts, the Deputy Speaker noted
that such statements do not cost a cent as it would be impossible to
explain to the Karabakh or any other nation why they are not allowed
to have what the Albanians have.
"I am sure that recognition of Kosovo independence will become a
precedent for settlement of other territorial conflicts," he noted.
Speaking about presidential election in Nagorno Karabakh,
Mr. Hovhannisyan stressed that the national interests claim for
a smooth change of power in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. He also
assured that elections in Nagorno Karabakh have always been much more
democratic than in other neighboring countries, including Armenia,
and expressed confidence that this would happen at the forthcoming
election too.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
