"IF AZERBAIJAN CONTINUES POLICY OF PRESSURE, ARMENIA WILL RECOGNIZE INDEPENDENCE OF NKR," POLITICAL SCIENTISTS BELIEVE

Noyan Tapan
March 24, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 24, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The steps taken
by Azerbaijan for the past weeks move away the regulation of the
Karabakh problem. This point of view was expressed by Kiro Manoyan,
who is in charge of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF)
Hay Dat Office, during the briefing, which was held before the
Pan-Armenian Youth Assembly dedicated to the 20th annivesrary of
the Artsakh struggle for existence, held on March 24. According to
him, Azerbaijan, in fact, is striving for changing the format of the
negotiation process and that means "to start everything from zero." "If
Azerbaijan continues its policy, it is clear that we do not have much
to do: the most important is to recognize the independence of Karabakh
and work in a direction so as other countries as well do that," Kiro
Manoyan said. In his conviction, the independence of Artsakh should be
recognized taking into consideration the logic of the negotiations and
not other calculations. For example, the fact that the Zharangutiun
(Heritage) faction of the National Assembly made a suggestion a few
months ago on recognizing the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, according
to Kiro Manoyan, did not proceed from the spirit of the negotiations.

Touching upon the recognition of the independence of the Republic
of Nagorno Karabakh by Armenia in his interview with journalists,
political scientist Levon Melik-Shahnazarian, brought as an example
the fact that Turkey seized the Northern Cyprus years ago, created
a state there, recognized it and since 1974 no other country has
recognized that state. According to the political scientist, it would
be much better if Armenia was not the first country to recognize the
independence of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh.

"However, if pressure continues, Armenia will even be obliged to
recognize the Republic of Artsakh," concluded Levon Melik-Shahnazarian.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress