RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION BECOMES PREVALENT
Gevorg Haroutyunyan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
26 Aug 2008
Armenia

Interview with ARMEN ROUSTAMYAN, Head of the NA Committee on Foreign
Relations

"Mr. Roustamyan, judging by all, the Russian Federation may, in the
near future, officially recognize the independence of South Osetia
and Abkhazia.

What may be the impact of this factor on our efforts towards achieving
the international recognition of the NKR independence?"

"Any new event in the geopolitical developments imparts new shades
to the issue of recognizing the independence of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic.

Taking into consideration all this, we should constantly consider
as a starting point the fact that the recognition of the NKR is
fully substantiated only on for Armenia but also on international
levels. There are all the grounds for recognizing the NKR independence.

Today, a number of nations declare their independence on the basis of
the right to self-determination. In comparison with all these cases,
the existing bases required for the recognition of the NKR independence
are on a much higher level. And the current geopolitical developments
are an additional occasion for voicing this fact from all the high
international tribunals once again.

In case of declaring its independence, the country should actually
comply with the well-known four criteria of the Montevideo Agreement,
which define the fact of the state being accomplished. The Nagorno
Kharabakh Republic definitely complies with all those criteria because
it has its state borders, permanent population and authorities elected
legitimately and democratically and has proven many a time that
it is capable of conducting international relations on an official
level independently."

"Is the parliament of our country ready to discuss the issue of
recognizing the independence of Artsakh in the current geo-political
situation? What should be done for that?"

"The issue of recognizing the NKR independence should be the principal
trump-card of our country’s diplomacy in general. In the meantime,
it is necessary to constantly consider all the circumstances for
using that trump-card, i.e. when and how it is proper to do that.

The precise choice of the moment is, in my opinion, determined by three
factors. First, the recognition of the independence should be initiated
by the NKR itself. And the process should be coordinated between the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic and Armenia. The step should also be made
in such a way and in such circumstances that will enable the Armenian
sides to strengthen their positions in the context of international
negotiations through recognizing the independence of Karabakh. And
last but not the least, we must be able to attain such results that
we’ll help us prevent the possible aggression by Azerbaijan.

In this contex t, I consider it necessary to introduce precision in
the existing misperception that the recognition of the independence
of Karabakh will be enough for preventing Azerbaijan’s bellicose
ambitions. This is not absolutely right because such step is necessary
but not enough.

And in order to have sufficient guarantees it is first of all
necessary for Armenia and Karabakh to announce simultaneously on
their intention of forming a military-political alliance. This step
will enable Armenia to obtain the status of the guarantor of the
independence and security of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the
context of the settlement of the conflict.

Armenia possesses that right. We must now be able to state the fact
on the international level.

The National Assembly is always ready to discuss the issue of
recognizing the independence of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. However,
it is again necessary to take into consideration the issue of choosing
a proper moment.

After all, the recognition should be achieved by the agreement of
the two presidents and citizens. It should be the product of united,
consolidated work."

"Mr. Roustamyan, what changes did the recent developments introduce
into the ratio of the geopolitical forces?"

"If we view of those changes from a little bit broader perspective,
it will be possible to record two new precedents. The first was
the Kosovo precedent which definitely showed that the right to
self-determination is accepted by the international tribunals as a
primary approach and principle.

Moreover, it is this approach that is recognized as the only right
way towards the settlement of the conflict peacefully, through
negotiations.

The second precedent concerns the security guarantees. The recent
developments showed quite clearly that all the hot-headed politicians
who believe that it is possible to settle the conflict by the use of
force not only demonstrate short-sightedness but also create a new
tension in the geo-political atmosphere which is fragile as it is.

And that is always fraught with the danger that the ongoing war will
not only be restricted to the direct parties to the conflict but
also involve the geo-political forces supporting them. The front-line
confrontation of the parties can, in such cases, create preconditions
for inciting a global war. "