"WAR" IS USUALLY BETWEEN CONCEPTS NOT INDIVIDUALS
Lilit Poghosyan

Hayots Ashkharh Daily
Sept 3 2007
Armenia

RPA vice-chair MP of the National Assembly Razmik Zohrabyan is the
interlocutor of "Hayots Ashkharh" daily.

"Mr. Zohrabyan why did the opposition press speculate especially your
name, "notifying" that you have been punished for visiting ex-President
during the summer holidays?"

"As you know I used to cooperate with Armenian Pan National
Movement. In 1996 I joined "Hanrapetutyun" union and supported Levon
Ter-Petrosyan’s candidacy. Andranik Margaryan as a multi-faceted
political figure, after 1998, used to keep his previous contacts
including with Levon Ter-Petrosyan, which is not a secret.

Now, that Andranik Margaryan is not with us, and I’m considered
one of his closest friends and most trustworthy companions, some
pro-opposition Mass Media are trying to speculate this circumstance
saying that after Margaryan Razmik Zohrabyan is maintaining relations
with the first President.

Once I have already refuted and I would like to record over again,
that it is not true and it can’t be, because after 1996 I haven’t met
Levon Ter-Petrosyan. To tell you the truth I don’t have any desire
to meet him.

As for the speculations circulated in the press and in the political
domain, saying that once Levon Ter-Petrosyan returns most of the old
members of the Republican Party will join him are simply baseless. I
will say why.

In 1998 we left "Hanrapetutyun" union not because we wanted to come
over to the side of the "strong", as some people represent it, but
because after a period of time we were disapproved of the activity
of "Hanrapetutyun" union. Whereas the principal disagreement was in
Karabakh issue.

As you know Levon Ter-Petrosyan supported the so-called
phase-regulation of the issue and came out with his well-known
announcement, trying to convince the society that there is no other
alternative and we must accept that version. This meant to withdraw
the forces from the liberated territories and only then to start
negotiations with Azerbaijan regarding the regulation of Karabakh
issue. It was an intolerable approach for us.

At that time Levon Ter-Petrosyan suffered a fiasco together with
Armenian Pan National Movement and the society refused this concept
of ceding the territories without any pre-conditions.

Ter-Petrosyan had to resign and the political powers that supported
the concept of package regulation came to power. Republican Party
was one of them.

At present we are of the same opinion: that the issue must be settled
by package version, that is to say we must know what we give and what
we take. All the issues must be included in the final package: linked
with the exchange or return of the territories of security zones,
refugees, and the political status. This was dictated by the time;
the demand of the society and it is still in force.

Consequently it is baseless to speak about Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s
return, especially to say that re-arrangements will take place in RPA.

" Do you think it is high time to recognize Karabakh’s independence,
as the leader of "Heritage" proposes?"

"Armenia has de facto recognized Karabakh’s independence but de jure
doesn’t announce it. Moreover international community has also de
facto recognized Karabakh’s independence. We should simply wait for
a proper time, to formulate it legally, based on the norms of the
international law. And Azerbaijan is also well conscious of it.

In such circumstances to recognize NKR de jure means to use the last
bullet. Whereas there are many ways to settle this issue without
opposing to the international opinion. We could also submit that
proposal, but we prefer to keep it for a rainy day. If we see that
all the means to settle the issue through negotiation and political
path are exhausted, any time we can appear with an announcement and
recognize Karabakh’s independence.

But we shouldn’t also overlook the fact that the only alternative to
the political regulation of the issue is war.