KARABAKH DISMISSES AZERI LEADER’S NON-RECOGNITION REMARKS

Mediamax
March 28 2008
Armenia

Yerevan, 28 March: Nagornyy Karabakh republic (NKR) parliament speaker
Ashot Ghulyan described Azerbaijani President [Ilham Aliyev’s]
comments and "his understanding of the conflict settlement" as
"inadequate regarding the realities".

Ghulyan made the statement in response to Mediamax’s request to
comment on Aliyev’s recent remarks that there is no issue of secession
of Nagornyy Karabakh from Azerbaijan "now, or in five or ten or a
100 years".

He said that the de facto independence that the NKR gained equally
with Azerbaijan on legal basis cannot be a subject for compromise.

"As far as the conflict consequences are concerned, we take the
issues concerning Azerbaijan with understanding, and we expect a
similar attitude from Azerbaijan," he added.

"We assess the situation realistically and think that the recognition
of Nagornyy Karabakh is in Azerbaijan’s state and national interests,"
Ghulyan said.

He conveyed hope that the "pre-election euphoria that characterize all
the recent statements by Aliyev would soon give way to common sense,
especially since recent developments show that Baku’s unrealistic
tone does not elicit a practical support."