"ARMENIA SHOULD FREEZE NEGOTATIONS"

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[06:38 pm] 14 December, 2007

"The Armenian side should take into account Azerbaijan’s destructive
policy and freeze negotiations within the framework of the OSCE
Minsk group," the leader of the Democratic Party of Armenian (ADK)
Aram Sargsian announced on December 14.

The Co-Chairs’ proposals are inadmissible for our party, the ADK
leader said.

The Azeri side displayed an anti-construction stance during the recent
talks over the Karabakh conflict resolution. The talks were held in
Snegiri, Russia, December 6-9.

In comparison with the preceding rounds where the conflicting sides
had reached a framework agreement, this time the Azeri side refrained
from considering the document.

The Azeri delegation underwent significant changes.

While the Armenian delegation is rarely changed, Aram Sargsian said.

This time Republican MP Armen Ashotian was involved in the delegation.

The latter was surprised at the fact that the Armenian delegation
followed unanimity rules at the negotiations. In reply to Ashotian’s
remark, Aram Sargsian noted that all political forces of Armenia are
unanimous with regard to the Karabakh issue.

According to the ADK leader the Azeri side was rather confident after
the OSCE FMs’ meeting. They even found the negotiations useless and
said the liberated six territories would be surrendered.

"Robert Kocharian could not have signed such a document. Besides,
he is not entitled to sign documents referring to Karabakh," Aram
Sargsian said.

They must come to realise that we do not "beg for peace." We can bind
it the way we did in 1994 through a ceasefire," editor-in-chief of
"Iskakan Iravunk" (True Right) Hayk Baukhanian said. Armenia cannot
wait for Azerbaijan to strengthen its economy with the help of oil
trade. We must establish land frontiers with the Russian Federation,
open a railway and return the liberated territories to refugees. We
must Azerbaijan recognise Karabakh’s status otherwise we should think
of a military solution.