Lragir, Armenia
Dec 4 2007
THERE WAS CONTROVERSY, THERE WAS NO EXPULSION
In Karabakh there was lack of confidence in Yerevan because a process
of returning Karabakh had been launched by Yerevan, stated the leader
of the National Democratic Party Shavarsh Kocharyan on December 4 at
the Hayatsk Club, whom the reporters asked to comment on Levon
Ter-Petrosyan statement that Serge Sargsyan had been expulsed from
Karabakh. The reporters noted that Vazgen Manukyan whom Shavarsh
Kocharyan supports in the presidential election 2008 was minister of
defense in those years and should know what happened in those years.
In answer to this question he started to describe the situation
himself. In addition, he was excited and furious about the opinion
that Serge Sargsyan had been expulsed. He says Serge Sargsyan was in
Moscow to deal with the problem of supplying the army.
Shavarsh Kocharyan says there was controversy in Karabakh but there
was no expulsion. According to the leader of the National Democratic
Party, those controversies were due to the defensive attitude of
Yerevan, which caused Karabakh to disbelieve the people through which
Armenia and Karabakh communicated, that is Robert Kocharyan and Serge
Sargsyan. Shavarsh Kocharyan says this communication was necessary
but since there was disagreement between Armenia and Karabakh, the
people who maintained communication became the target of this
controversy.
`There should be people to sustain this communication, and the
communicators became the target. It is known thanks to the policy of
Levon Ter-Petrosyan. What is this? You are fighting in Karabakh with
shells flying overhead and he says in an interview with the
Komsomolskaya Pravda that the autonomy is the best option,’ Shavarsh
Kocharyan says referring to Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s interview in March
or April of 1992. The leader of the NDU says Ter-Petrosyan conducted
a defensive policy, and stated that Armenia will lose, he said after
every victory they were temporary, he was against the recognition of
Nagorno-Karabakh. In this context, Shavarsh Kocharyan thinks in
Karabakh they thought if Robert Kocharyan and Serge Sargsyan
maintained contact with Yerevan, they endorsed the defensive attitude
of Yerevan.
However, the impression of Shavarsh Kocharyan’s explanations is that
the victory in the war in Karabakh was independent from the will of
the president of Armenia then Levon Ter-Petrosyan. `Yes, it appears
to be so,’ Shavarsh Kocharyan answers referring to Ter-Petrosyan’s
activities in the years of war. `First he stated publicly that we
would lose to Azerbaijan. The commander-in-chief stated so. An
unprecedented case. After the Belovezh agreement, Ter-Petrosyan
rejected the Soviet equipment. The explanation of his refusal was
that we are strong if we are unprotected, we need not be armed, and
he urged to prevent Azerbaijan from arming,’ Shavarsh Kocharyan says.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan, according to him, took all the Soviet
equipment that was in Azerbaijan. Shavarsh Kocharyan says since
Nagorno-Karabakh was not recognized, the issue was transformed into a
territorial dispute.
The leader of the National Democratic Party accused the present
government of the opposite extremity, who identified Karabakh and
Armenia and promoted the territorial dispute. Shavarsh Kocharyan says
they realized the mistake too late but now the situation is
complicated because the international community perceived the
territorial dispute and there is strong pressure. Shavarsh Kocharyan
says he is amazed when people speak about the recognition of the
right of the NKR people for self-determination.
`What does it mean to recognize the right of the people of
Nagorno-Karabakh for self-determination? This very phrase. All people
have the right for self-determination. Thereby you want to convey
that people are living in Karabakh. It is insulting. See how we have
got caught in this trap favoring Azerbaijan,’ Shavarsh Kocharyan
says. He says recognition concerns a well-established state.
Meanwhile, he does not accept the discourse in Armenia on returning
or not returning territories, he says only Karabakh and Azerbaijan
can discuss this issue.
According to him, now the recognition of Karabakh will be highly
complicated for Armenia, therefore it is impossible to do at once and
it is necessary to prepare. Shavarsh Kocharyan says this in answer to
the question whether Vazgen Manukyan whom Shavarsh Kocharyan supports
is ready to recognize the independence of Karabakh.