KEY TO THE SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH ISSUE – IN OUR HANDS
Gevorg Haroutyunyan

Azat Artsakh Daily
09 Dec 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR

Interview with MP HAMLET HAROUTYUNYAN, Head of "Artsakh" compatriots’
union

"Mr. Haroutyunyan, how do you account for the haste over the settlement
of the Karabakh conflict and the unprecedented activeness of the
international organizations and some internal political forces?"

"The Karabakh settlement talks have really taken a much more intensive
course. The meetings between the Presidents and Foreign Ministers
of Armenia and Artsakh organized by the mediation of the OSCE Minsk
Group and in other formats have become more frequent. In this context,
I consider the increased hue-and-cry quite natural.

It is not proper to any nation to make the solution of a pan-national
problem dependent upon the attitude towards this or that politician.

Moreover, it is illogical when they bring harm to the nation and
torpedo the pro-Armenian settlement of the problem with the purpose
of impeding the activities of he given figure. Unfortunately, we
won’t learn lessons from the sad examples of our history.

Generally, these forces speculating the interests of the nation
and state pursue only one goal: to come to power. The individuals
yearning for power do not even hate the idea of undermining the state
and splitting the nation, since they are c onvinced that even in such
circumstances, there is something for them to plunder.

In our reality, there are also hidden traitors who manage to split
the people, make the country vulnerable and remain unpunished. One
can always strive for power and be dissatisfied with the rulers, but
it is not allowed to trample on the national interests and sacred
values. Expressing their views on the pages of the press, those
people do not even conceal their admiration when, leaning on the
misinformation disseminated by the Turkish-Azerbaijani propaganda,
they allegedly point out to the lapses and defeats of our country’s
leadership and diplomacy. The threat to Artsakh has not, in any way,
increased over the recent period but in this way, they are instilling
defeatist moods among the people. This is the tragedy."

"What solution do you see for the Artsakh issue? What else should be
done apart from undertaking diplomatic-political steps?"

"It is obvious that at some stage of the negotiations held within the
frameworks of the Minsk Group, Nagorno Karabakh will inevitably become
a negotiating party. Even the fate of the smallest nation cannot be
determined without the participation of one of its representatives. As
to the people of Artsakh, they are solving a national problem for
their liberation, and the world is well-aware of that.

On the geo-political plane, the Artsakh issue will find a solution
when the superpowers reach a common agreement over their interests
in the Caucasian region."