TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Feb 20 2008
Change of Power in Armenia Won’t Affect Negotiations on
Nagorno-Karabakh – Political Scientist
20.02.08 11:35
Azerbaijan, Baku, 19 February / Trend News corr J. Babayeva / The
Armenian Prime Minister Serj Sarkisian, and Chair of the `Republic’
party, will definitely win the presidential elections, and that will
not affect negotiations on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the
political scientist Zardusht Alizade said to journalists in Baku on
19 February.
Today Armenia is holding its presidential elections. Nine candidates
are running for presidency.
`When the separatist movement was expanding in Nagorno-Karabakh,
Sarkisian was one of its leaders. Those who came to power from this
movement can be called the Party of `Commanders of Karabakh’ (PKK).
The members of the movement stick to an irreconcilable position on
Nagorno-Karabakh. They believe that they have already won and all
that remains is to document the victory,’ Alizade said.
According to the political scientist, in such countries as Armenia,
where persons use governmental positions as a source of enrichment,
and where civil society has no control over corruption, the people
will never be allowed to oust such people.
The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in
1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group
( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.