ARTSAKH IS NOT FOR SALE
Christine Khanumyan

The Haykakan Zhamanak Daily (abridged)
KarabakhOpen
03-12-2007 10:33:49

Interview with NKR Prime Minister Ara Harutiunyan

Mr. Harutiunyan, in the first meeting of government you criticized
a number of shortcomings in the policies of the previous
government. Could you specify what shortcomings you had meant?

We think the rate of development in NKR does not meet the modern
challenges, which means we need proactive efforts for dynamic
development in Artsakh.

This idea was set in the election program of President Bako
Sahakyan. It is necessary to launch serious projects and to revise the
old ones. The goal of the government now is to conduct a justified
and just social and economy policy to keep up with the world and
meet challenges. Naturally, there were drawbacks in the work of the
government, we will also have drawbacks. We need a precise analysis
and reduction of shortcomings.

The new government possesses the potential, possibilities and ambitions
to reach tangible results.

After the presidential election the political life in Karabakh
"calmed down". Moreover, the opposition which was represented then
by the ARF Dashnaktsutyun and Movement 88 stopped existing, and now
there is no opposition. Isn’t it difficult for the government to work
without the control of the opposition?

People control and evaluate our work, therefore, we first of
all care about the opinion of people. There are active political
forces and persons in the parliament of Artsakh who regularly make
objective evaluations, and the government is constantly in a working
dialogue with them. At the same time, we cooperate with almost all
the political forces which were not elected to parliament. In the
course of cooperation we hear critical remarks as well.

Some time ago the first president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan met
with President Bako Sahakyan. Different things are said about the
meeting but nothing is known about the details of the talk. In your
opinion, what consequences may this meeting have for Armenia which is
facing a presidential election, and for the political life of Karabakh?

As far as I know, Levon Ter-Petrosyan met with President Bako Sahakyan
to congratulate him on election. They have known each other since
the Movement.

I am sure that the meeting may have only a positive effect on the
Armenian processes.

NKR used to voice its stance on elections in Armenia but now Karabakh
seems to keep aloof. Many say it relates to the meeting of Bako
Sahakyan and Levon Ter-Petrosyan.

I do not think one meeting or another may cause NKR not to voice its
stance on the election in Armenia. Armenia did not voice a stance on
the election in Karabakh. I would say our stance is the same that
the election should be transparent, legal, and should not jolt the
society. Stability in Armenia is a guarantee of security of NKR.

It is already a tradition to manipulate the Karabakh issue on the eve
of elections in Armenia. After the first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan
became active, the Armenian government said his stance on the Karabakh
settlement is defensive, and if he comes to power, it will end up in
an anti-national solution. However, on October 26 Levon Ter-Petrosyan
stated that nobody can "sell Karabakh". What is the opinion of the
NKR government regarding this?

The stance of the government and people of NKR on the Karabakh
settlement remains the same – an independent state anchored on the
Constitution.

Artsakh is not for sale, and we do not want them to instrumentalize
Karabakh in the elections. People live in NKR who won the right to
live a free, secure and welfare life. One of our primary goals is to
enhance the effectiveness of the NKR Defense Army, sustain social and
economic growth, improve the state of demography. The settlement of
the Karabakh issue depends on the attainment of these goals. I believe
that the economic "boom" in Azerbaijan cannot be a deciding factor
and become an issue to discuss in the resolution of the Karabakh issue.