SERZH SARGSYAN: CREATION OF NEW DIVIDING LINES IN CAUCASUS MAY BE HIGLY DANGEROUS

Noyan Tapan

Nov 14, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian president Serzh
Sargsyan gave an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
newspaper. Below are excerpts from the interview, the text of which
was submitted to Noyan Tapan by the RA presidential press service.

Question: Mr. President, last week in Moscow you reached an agreement
with the Azeri president on settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, a conflict which has kept the relations between the two
countries strained for a long time. How will it develop today?

Answer: We attach importance to the fact that a document has been
signed that rules out the resolution of the conflict in a military
way. Of course, it is just a declaration but we would be glad to turn
it into an agreement.

Anyhow, I do not want to underestimate the significance of this
document. I am also glad that Azerbaijan has signed a document that
accepts all the principles of international law and not only the
principle of territorial integrity for solution of the conflict. I also
regard as positive the fact that despite the recent sharp opinions
about efficiency of the OSCE Minsk Group, importance was attached to
the format of the Minsk Group and the role of the co-chairs – the U.S,
Russia and France as mediators.

Question: Are you prepared to withdraw your troops from the seven
regions adjacent to Karabakh – as required?

Answer: The pivotal problem of the conflict is the issue of status
of Nagorno Karabakh. Azerbaijan must recognize the exercise of the
Nagorno Karabakh population’s right of self-determination. The solution
of this main problem may be followed by the other issues. Control of
the territories is not an end in itself to us, but it aims to ensure
Karabakh’s security. Today we must negotiate on the principles of
settlement, which may be followed by the major peace agreement. We
still have a long way to pass.

Question: You are yourself from Karabakh. Can Karabakh remain as an
autonomous region of Azerbaijan?

Answer: The matter concerns creation of such conditions that will allow
ensuring further development of the population in safe conditions. The
history showed that this is impossible in case of Karabakh’s being
part of Azerbaijan. We have never thought that Karabakh in some status
or other may remain part of Azerbaijan.

Question: You were in Brussels recently. Can the EU prove useful in
the resolution of the conflict?

Answer: Europe should point out when one of the sides deviates
from the road and violates the nature of peaceful settlement of
the process. Besides, if an international organization indicates
the importance of one principle of the conflict’s settlement, it
encourages the actions of this country in that direction and displays a
non-constructive approach. The U.S. and a number of European countries
applied the principle of self-determination of nations with respect
to Kosovo. When Russia applied the same, it was rejected by the
U.S. and Europe.

Question: You are also a member of NATO’s partnership program. Is the
lesson to be drawn from the war is that the Alliance should keep away
from the Caucasus?

Answer: I do not agree with your choice of these words. In that
case the further development of our relations with NATO would be
impossible. We believe that our cooperation with the Alliance is a
component of our security system. On the other hand we do not strive
to become a NATO member.

The creation of new dividing lines in our region may be highly
dangerous.

This is the lesson drawn from the Georgian war.