WHAT IT MEANS ARMENIAN ARE MORE READY FOR SETTLEMENT

Lragir.am
14:06:18 – 30/10/2008

The settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict takes place in the
framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, this framework is effective and
there is no need for a new framework, stated the Armenian foreign
minister Edward Nalbandyan on October 30 in Yerevan. As to the Russian
president’s initiative of the three-party meeting in Moscow, Edward
Nalbandyan says Russia is a Minsk Group co-chair, and has always
been active and has had a constructive stance. In this connection,
Edward Nalbandyan commended the initiative of the Russian president.

With regard to the forecasts whether the settlement of the conflict
is possible within two or three months, as the first president of
Armenia had said in his address on October 17, Edward Nalbandyan says
there have been other similar forecasts on timing before. In this
connection, Edward Nalbandyan says he can say one thing only that the
settlement of the conflict, agreement with Azerbaijan is possible in
case this country displays political will, and does not come up with
different actions, different statements in different international
organizations. If Armenia gives an adequate response to them, the
process will arrive in a deadlock, Edward Nalbandyan says. He says
Armenia has a serious attitude towards the settlement, and has a great
wish to have it settled. "We find that it is an important phase in
the talks, we find that the talks may grow more active especially
after the initiative of the Russian president Medvedev, and we are
hopeful that the meeting of the presidents will speed up the talks,"
Edward Nalbandyan said.

The reporters asked him if it is right that unlike the "principles
of Madrid" where the return of 4 or 5 regions is concerned, the
Russian initiative involves the return of all the 7 regions at
once. The foreign minister did not answer this question directly,
noting that maybe he knows less about the "principles of Madrid"
than the reporter who asked the question but he thinks that there
is no need to make conclusions on any agreement unless there is a
complex agreement. Edward Nalbandyan also stated that an agreement
between the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan takes the approval
of their publics, otherwise no leader can do something secretly.

In this connection the reporters asked him to comment on the fact that
the "principles of Madrid" are acceptable for the Armenian government,
whereas the NKR President Bako Sahakyan stated that independence
and security within the current factual borders are not a subject
of discussion.

Edward Nalbandyan said if the sides reach agreement, a solution,
when that agreement is presented to the public, naturally it needs to
be approved not only by the people of Armenia but also the people of
Karabakh. "That solution must be approved by the publics of Armenia
and Karabakh. Without that approval, without that confidence that
people understand those solutions, that people accept and endorse
those solutions, no issue will be solved," Edward Nalbandyan stated.

According to him, unlike the people of Azerbaijan, the people of
Armenia are more ready for the settlement. "At least, because there is
no hatred in our people, there is no 80 percent no confidence in the
Minsk Group, 30 percent of people ready to solve the problem through
a war."