EXCHANGE OF TERRITORIES NOT SUBJECT OF DISCUSSION FOR ARMENIAN REVOLUTIONARY FEDERATION – DASHNAKTSUTYUN

Aravot
Nov 15 2008
Armenia

Asked by Aravot about Dashnaktsutyun’s attitude to the proposal of
the [opposition] Heritage Party to settle the issue of the liberated
territories [Armenian-occupied lands outside Nagornyy Karabakh] via an
exchange, say by exchanging Agdam District for Shahumyan [Goranboy]
District, the leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation –
Dashnaktsutyun faction, Vahan Hovhannesyan, said at a briefing in
parliament on 14 November: "We have not discussed such an issue,
because I do not believe that the opposite side will consent to
such a plan. It is an issue for discussion. However, in general,
our principle is what a representative of the Dashnaktsutyun bureau
expressed years ago – we do not exchange Armenian territories for
Armenian territories."

We asked if, according to this, they consider Agdam to be Armenian
territory, and Hovhannesyan said: "I know there are officials who do
not believe that Agdam is Armenian territory. However, I am sure that
it is historical Armenian territory."

When Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan was defence minister,
he [Sargsyan] said in May 2001: "One cannot approach the issue
unilaterally and say at every corner that we have liberated, have
liberated, have liberated… Agdam is ours, I do not know, Mirbashir
[Tartar District] is ours… I do not believe this is serious."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress