KARABAKH SETTLEMENT MUST TAKE CURRENT REALITY INTO ACCOUNT – SARGSYAN

Interfax News Agency
June 25 2008
Russia

Armenia advocates a settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict with
due account taken of the current realities, Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan said while in Moscow on an official visit.

"The conflict cannot be settled if the Nagorno Karabakh Republic’s
current de-facto state independence status is lowered," Sargsyan told
Russian mass media executives in Moscow on Tuesday evening.

Nagorno Karabakh has never been part of Azerbaijan, "because the
decision on this issue was made by party bodies, not by state
agencies," he said.

"Nagorno Karabakh has today all attributes of a state," he also said.

Sargsyan highly appraised the outcome of his recent talks with Azeri
President Ilham Aliyev at the Commonwealth of Independent States’
informal summit in St.Petersburg.

"The conflict can be settled if based on consensus and compromise,"
the Armenian president said.

Sargsyan spoke at length about relations with Armenia’s other neighbor
Turkey.

Ankara continues the blockade of Armenia, motivating it by Armenia’s
demand to condemn the genocide of Armenia in the early 20th century
now, and by its support for Azerbaijan then. "The latter is more
realistic," he said.

While commenting on the idea to set up a commission on the genocide,
Sargsyan said that it could be formed after the borders have been
opened and diplomatic relations established. "We would be happy to
see Turkey a country complying with European standards," the Armenian
president said.