ARMAN MELIKIAN: "KARABAKH CONFLICT IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE"
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[07:30 pm] 24 December, 2007
Former Advisor to the NKR President and presidential contender
Arman Melikian, stated on December 24 he decided to run in the
2008 presidential elections after having witnessed an atmosphere of
intolerance where nobody upholds his approach towards the resolution
of the Karabakh issue.
Arman Melikian thinks there cannot be a compromise with regard to
the Karabakh issue. The territories should not be surrendered he
says. Melikian’s stance is close to that of the ARF Dashnaktsutiun
because this party calls for tolerance in the race and is against the
surrender of the territories. In this case, it is not clear why Arman
Melikian has decided to run in the election instead of supporting
the ARF Dashnaktsutiun.
Melikian says the answer is clear. According to him, the ARF
Dashnaktsutiun has been in power for ten years and has failed
to put down clearly their approach towards the territories. In
this connection, Arman Melikian doubts that the ARF Dashnaktsutiun
will oppose to the Government if the latter brings up the issue of
surrendering the territories tomorrow.
As to the Karabakh conflict in general, Arman Melikian thinks the
issue has a great international value because it is in the focus
of the geopolitical interests. Everyone acknowledges it except for
Armenia. If Armenia acknowledged its importance it would be more
successful in the talks. Arman Melikian says the approaches of the
former and present governments of Armenia on the Karabakh conflict have
come closer. Nevertheless, both of them are inadmissible for him. The
ex-adviser says Armenia needs a new government to push through the
approaches proposed by him. The acting government has conducted a
different policy over the past ten years and cannot pursue the line
he proposes.