IMPOSSIBLE TO RETURN NAGORNO-KARABAKH TO STATUS QUO OF 1988: PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA
Trend News Agency
Feb 29 2008
Azerbaijan
Returning Nagorno-Karabakh to the status quo and high autonomy as
part of Azerbaijan, like 1988, is impossible, said the President of
Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, while making a speech before the students
of Yerevan State University on 29 February.
"In 1988, the situation was quite different because the Soviet Union
was in existence. Today returning to that variant is impossible,"
said the President, Novosti-Armenia reports.
According to him, currently it is not worthy to protract or hurry
the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh at any cost. Kocharyan said
that both of the above-mentioned variants are unacceptable and the
Armenian side needs to specify its position, devise exact presentation
about further steps.
"We should now what we want to achieve and if possible, to try
to achieve it next year, in two years or 20 years. However, in the
basic issues, it is impossible to support any compromise or defeatist
position," the State Head said.
Kocharyan said that such statements may adversely affect the position
of the mediators for settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, who may
have the impression that part of the Armenian people are prepared to
make compromise.