NAGORNO-KARABAKH INSISTS ON INVOLVEMENT IN TALKS

Interfax
Nov 11 2008
Russia

Nagorno-Karabakh should definitely take part in the negotiations on
the settlement of the Karabakh issue, said Bako Saakyan, president
of the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno- Karabakh.

"Any dialogue has a positive impact on the settlement of the issue,
but at the same time we believe that dialogue and all efforts taken
by the international community, the OSCE Minsk Group, and especially
Russia, we welcome, but they are incomplete without Nagorno-Karabakh’s
involvement," Saakyan said in an interview with Radio Liberty,
referring to the declaration on the settlement of the Karabakh issue
signed by the presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia.

The Karabakh administration "demands the restoration of the format
and the fulfillment of the decisions made at the Budapest summit,
in accordance with which the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh is a
fully-fledged party to the negotiations," Saakyan said

"We are also discussing this with the Armenian authorities," he said.

"We welcome the negotiation process in the framework of the OSCE Minsk
Group and we do not believe the format has outlived itself. But we
also believe that this work cannot result in a final solution to the
matter because Nagorno-Karabakh is not involved in the negotiations,"
Saakyan said.