ACCORDING TO ARKADI GHUKASIAN, KOSOVO CAN SERVE AS PRECEDENT FOR NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

Noyan Tapan
Jul 03 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. "During the past 15 years Azerbaijan did
nothing in order to deserve the confidence of the Karabakh people,
instead it has chosen a policy of threats and blackmail." This
statement was made by Arkadi Ghukasian, the President of the
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, during a meeting with the students
of the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) State University in Yerevan on
July 3. He observed that the Azeri side is currently engaged not in
the conflict settlement but in its promotion, trying to present the
conflict to the world community as a mere argument between Armenia
and Azerbaijan. In the opinion of Arkadi Ghukasian, there is only one
way out of the created situation: the Karabakh side should again take
part in the negotiation process.

He believes that making compromises is out of the question in the
created atmosphere of inconfidence. "One can make compromises for his
or her associate, but not for his enemy, who has chosen a strategy
of threats," the President of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh said.

He declared that if Azerbaijan continues to be engaged in promoting
instead of dealing with the problem, the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
"will reconsider its approaches" with respect to the conflict. Arkadi
Ghukasian mentioned that, under that circumstances, the Republic of
Nagorno Karabakh will make its steps directed at making the conflict
known in the world community more active.

In A. Ghukasian’s conviction, Kosovo can fully serve as a precedent
for the solution of the Karabakh problem. "If Kosovo is able to
implement its right of self-determination, why is Karabakh incapable
of it? Nobody has an answer to this question," the NKR President
concluded.