PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA COMMENTING ON RECENT EVENTS IN SOUTH OSSETIA

AZG Armenian Daily
22/08/2008

President of Armenia Serge Sakisian on his meeting with the Defense
Ministers and the Secretary General of CSTO stated that issues of
national self-determination must be solved on the basis of people’s
free will,

"Today, we are strongly concerned over the crisis in South
Ossetia. This is a humanitarian disaster, which needs to be overcome
quickly. In these circumstances, we welcome the joint initiative of
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and French President Nicolas Sarkozy
– the six-step plan of how overcoming the present situation and to
attain long-term peaceful resolution," the Armenian President said.

Mr. Sarkisian added that the tragic events in South Ossetia had shown
that such conflicts, if not solved according to the free will of the
nations, result in ethnic separatism and violation of the international
humanitarian law.

"We have repeatedly pointed to the dangers of the unprecedented efforts
of some countries of the region to build up their military capacities
in an attempt to solve the existing conflicts," Sargsian said.

Armenia is ready to provide its territory as a humanitarian
corridor. "We are also ready to provide humanitarian assistance,"
Serge Sarkisian stated said.