Serzh Sargsyan: Azerbaijan must recognize Nagorny Karabakh’s right to
self-determination and Armenia must recognize Azerbaijan’s right to
territorial integrity

2008-03-07 17:37:00

ArmInfo. Azerbaijan must recognize Nagorny Karabakh people’s right to
self- determination, and Armenia must recognize Azerbaijan’s right to
territorial integrity, Armenian Prime Minister, Leader of the
Republican Party of Armenia says in an interview to Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

Serzh Sargsyan said the Karabakh conflict must be settled exclusively
by peace methods on the basis of mutual concessions. ‘I am from
Nagorny Karabakh and I am well aware of the region’s problems. My
stand on the settlement of Karabakh conflict has been known for over
15 years. I have presented my point of view of the problem also during
my presidential campaign. The votes I have received prove that the
Armenian public approves my approaches to the conflict’s settlement’,
the newly elected president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan says. Asked if
recognition of Kosovo’s independence by a number of states may become
a precedent for Nagorny Karabakh, S. Sargsyan said: ‘We do not think
Kosovo a precedent for settlement of Karabakh conflict since we are
sure that every conflict has its roots, dynamics of development and
ways of settlement’. As regards the Armenian-Turkish relations, the
premier said Armenia is ready to establish diplomatic relations
without any preconditions even tomorrow. ‘It is Turkey that makes
strange demands to Armenia for establishment of diplomatic relations’,
the premier said. ‘I think the civilized way of settling all the
issues of the two countries is establishment of diplomatic relations
and discussion of the existing problems by diplomatic methods.
Unfortunately, Turkey is not ready to it. One can say that now the
ball is no the pitch of Ankara’, S. Sargsyan says.