LEVON TER-PETROSYAN: "NO SUPERSTATE IS READY TO SUPPORT THE RIGHT OF THE KARABAKH PEOPLE FOR SELF-DETERMINATION"

Today.Az
y.az/news/politics/47582.html
Sept 16 2008
Azerbaijan

The curtsies of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan made to the West and
Turkey threaten the OSCE Minsk Group, which is dangerous for Armenia,
said first president of Armenian and leader of radical opposition Levon
Ter-Petrosyan at the oppositional meeting in the center of Yerevan.

"If Serzh Sargsyan tries to change the political atmosphere in the
country, release the political prisoners, start open and sincere
dialogue with people, West will understand that Armenia is able to
unite before the external pressure and settle the issues of national
concern conjointly.

This is the only correct way. Otherwise, it would be possible to
state that Serzh Sargsyan puts for sale not only the issue of Nagorno
Karabakh or recognition of Genocide of Armenians but also the very
statehood of our country", said the first president of Armenia.

Ter-Petrosyan noted that in the settlement of the conflict,
the world society and super states, considering the "syndrome of
expediency" adhere either to the principle of preservation of the
territorial integrity or to the principle of the right of nation
for self-determination.

"In case of Karabakh conflict, no super state, including Russia,
EU or USA, is ready to support the right of the Karabakh people for
self-determination", said he.

Ter-Petrosyan considers that though not justifying Russia’s actions in
the region, the West reconciled with the new redistribution of powers
and now it attempts to compensate this by its intensification in the
Karabakh issue, which is proven by the upcoming trilateral meeting
on the Karabakh issue between the Foreign Ministers of Armenia,
Turkey and Azerbaijan.

"When I was a President of Armenia, they repeatedly suggested this
to me, yet I declined all proposals, which did not envision the
participation of the Karabakh side", reminded he.

Ter-Petrosyan considers that if this meeting is held it will be held
in the 2+1 format, while Armenia will be the minority.

"It is too dangerous as it threatens to the activity of the OSCE
Minsk Group, as its format of settlement was the most correct one
in the sense of the balance of powers of superstates, it comprises",
considers the former President.

He also negatively assessed the plan of creating the Armenian-Turkish
commission of historians.

In 2005 Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan proposed an initiative of
creating a joint Armenian-Turkish commission of historians to study
the circumstances of dramatic events in the Osman Empire in the early
last century.

"By creating such a commission Turkey pursues the only goal: to
stop the international process of recognition of the "genocide",
considers Ter-Petrosyan.

He noted that "the Armenian community and diaspora will not allow
either Sargsyan or any other president to agree on creation of such
a commission".