"ARMENIA SHOULD STICK TO ITS PRINCIPLES"
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[07:19 pm] 24 October, 2008
"The fact of the NKR independence cannot be ignored in the process
of the Karabakh conflict settlement. There should be no mention
of compensations. These principles should lie at the heart of the
negotiations," Heritage Party MP Stepan Safaryan said today during
the parliamentary briefings.
"We are really concerned about the recent developments in the conflict
resolution. No one has presented the disputed "principles of Madrid"
aimed at the conflict settlement," noted the Heritage Secretary.
Another member of the Heritage party, Larissa Alaverdyan, says that the
negotiations will be deemed as an ordinary meeting without Karabakh’s
involvement. Therefore, no decision taken in the process of such a
meeting will be obligatory for Karabakh.
"Although Azerbaijan would like other instances, for example the
UNO, to deal with the conflict resolution, I think the Minsk group
framework is the best one," noted Prosperous Armenia Party MP Aram
Safaryan. "I don’t think that the future developments can lead to
the change of the Minsk group format."
He also noted that "the OSCE expects tangible progress in the conflict
resolution based on the Madrid principles in 2009." Safaryan reminded
that the conflicting sides had many times been close to the conflict
resolution but one of them unexpectedly toughened its stance at the
last moment thus leaving the issue unsettled.
"I strongly believe that Armenia should stick to its principles during
the talks," he added.
ARF Dashnaktsutyun member Ara Nranyan emphasised public attitude
towards the regulation of the Karabakh conflict. He thinks the
Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan cannot sign a document which
is not accepted by the two peoples. Reminding the case of Serbia,
Nranyan said that the society should finally realise that "once
they surrender a centimeter they will lose everything." He thinks if
Armenia takes a strong position it will yield to no pressure.
The secretary of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun, Artyusha Shahbazyan, noted
that the Armenian officialdom have many times voiced support for
settlement of the Karabakh issue in the frame of the Minsk Group.