RPA IS GREATEST APOLOGIST OF SOLVING NAGORNO KARABAKH PROBLEM IN FAVOR OF ARMENIA, PARTY’S SPOKESPERSON STATES
Noyan Tapan
Nov 18, 2008
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 18, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian authorities will
never make one-sided concessions in the Nagorno Karabakh issue. RA NA
deputy Eduard Sharmazanov, the Spokesperson of the Republican Party
of Armenia (RPA), stated at the November 18 press conference. In his
words, RPA is the political force, which is most of all interested
in the solution to the Nagorno Karabakh problem in favor of Armenia.
Attaching importance to the Maiendorf Declaration signed by the
Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia lately, E. Sharmazanov
mentioned the three principles to be laid in the basis of the
Nagorno Karabakh settlement, which were included in the declaration
and about which the RA President has spoken for many times. They
are problem’s peaceful, political settlement, existence of a land
border between Armenia and NKR, security guarantees of the Nagorno
Karabakh population. E. Sharmazanov named the stipulation of the above
mentioned principles by the declaration the most important achievement
of the Armenian authorities. In response to the question of why the
issue of Nagorno Karabakh status is not mentioned in the document,
the deputy said that the Armenian side considers inadmissible the
possibility of NKR’s making part of Azerbaijan. According to him,
the Armenian side considers primary the issue of Nagorno Karabakh
independence, and the concession expected from Azerbaijan should be
the very recognition of that independence.
According to E. Sharmazanov, the Madrid principles cannot be
publicized until the negotiations process finishes. As to Karabakh
side’s participation in the negotiations, according to him, the
circumstance that the Minsk Group Co-chairs visiting the region also
visit NKR is the evidence of Karabakh’s indirect participation in
the negotiations. E. Sharmazanov gave assurance that no document on
settlement can be signed without the Karabakh side and assured that
the positions of NKR and RA authorities in that issue mainly coincide.