RETURN OF NAGORNO KARABAKH TO ITS FORMER STATUS IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE, STEPAN SAFARIAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan
March 13, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. "Is the precedent of the international
recognition of Kosovo’s independence applicable to Artsakh?" The
March 13 discussion organized at the Armenian Center for National
and Internatioanl Studies (ACNIS) was dedicated to this urgent issue.

In the opinion of the ACNIS coordinator Syuzanna Barseghian, the
recognition of Kosovo’s independence may considerably change the
approaches to the other conflicts in the post-Soviet territory,
including the approaches to the Karabakh conflict – regardless of
the statements that the case of Kosovo is a unique one.

The secretary of the National Assembly "Heritage" faction Stepan
Safarian considered the speculation (of various kinds and at various
levels) on Kosovo’s precedent as yet another evidence of the use of
double standards due to geopolitics. In his words, Artsakh is a real
precedent of decolonization and legal and constitutional declaration
of statehood.

"Unfortunately, Armenia is not only missing Kosovo "train" but
it is also making quite worrying, if not dangerous statements,
according to which Kosovo cannot establish a precedent for Artsakh,"
S. Safarian said. In his opinion, the Armenian side should initiate
the maturation of moods that the return of many national formations
to have chosen a path of independence, first of all – of Nagorno
Karabakh, to their former status is no longer possible. "Tomorrow,
the NA Standing Committee of Foreign Relations will at last examine
the bill on recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic prepared by
Raffi Hovannisian," he said.

The foreign minister of the NKR Arman Melikian presented his vision
on Armenia’s position on the issue of recognizing or not recognizing
Kosovo. In his words, first of all it is Armenia that should recognize
the NKR’s independence. "The example of Kosovo gives us an excellent
opportunity to pass legislative acts, up to on granting NKR citizenship
to hundreds of thousands of our compatriots who have migrated from
Azerbaijan," he stated, considering any bargaining on the liberated
territories as unacceptable. A. Melikian said that today it is
important to put forward definite substantiation in order to prove
to the international community that Artsakh is a well-established
and sovereign state with its borders, its public order peculiar to
a democratic state, and all other standards.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress