NKR FOREIGN MINISTER: AS AN INITIATOR OF THE WAR, AZERBAIJAN CARRIES FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CONSEQUENCES

Lragir.am
Dec 16, 2008

NKR Foreign Minister Georgy Petrossian’s answers to questions by
the media – At the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Helsinki,
4 and 5 December, the Azerbaijani delegation circulated a document,
summarizing its viewpoints on the principles of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement. What is Stepanakert’s position with respect to
those principles?

The attempts of the Azerbaijani party to impose on the mediators
and the world community in general, using different international
forums, its own vision of both the conflict between Nagorno Karabakh
and Azerbaijan, and the ways of its settlement are not a novelty. In
the framework of this policy, Baku resorts to different techniques,
in particular, presents itself as a victim of its own aggression
launched against the people of NKR and uses slogans for European
values and democracy as a cover for its goals.

Meanwhile, the latest statements by the Azerbaijani leadership, in
particular, the peculiar interpretation of provisions of the Moscow
Declaration by Ilham Aliyev, i.e. the political settlement of the
conflict does not exclude use of force, as well as the above-mentioned
Azerbaijani principles of conflict settlement demonstrate all the
hypocrisy of the Azerbaijani diplomacy and thwart all the efforts of
the international community to find ways of peaceful=2 0resolution
of the conflict. Moreover, this kind of actions by Azerbaijan show
not only disrespect for the international mediators` work, but also
create an impression of Azerbaijan as an improper partner, which is
ready to denounce a previous agreement the very next day.

– Have there been any changes in the position of official Baku towards
the settlement of the conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan
since 1988?

~ At all stages of the conflict development, Azerbaijan has been and
continues to be the main bearer of the idea of military resolution
of the conflict. Counting on power turned into ethnic pogroms and
expulsion of Armenians from Sumgait, Baku, Kirovabad and other parts of
the former Azerbaijani SSR, which was followed by operation "Koltso"
(Ring) on deportation of the population of Armenian villages of the
Shahoumian, Hadrout and Shoushi regions of Nagorno Karabakh. During the
military phase of the conflict, Baku time and again moved away from
restrictions and termination of hostilities, frustrated cease-fire
agreements, was the first and repeated violator of the four UN
Security Council Resolutions on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, and
did not comprehensively and promptly fulfill a single requirement of
the resolutions. After the cease-fire, the leadership of Azerbaijan
has been actively and in quantity purchasing offensive weapons, thus
promoting arms race, as well as continues threatening the Nagorno
Karaba kh Republic with resumption of hostilities.

The readiness to risk regional peace, a basic precondition for
social-economic development and realization of international investment
projects, makes the policy of official Baku a serious threat not
only to the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, but also to regional peace
and security.

– Azerbaijan accuses Armenia of the intention to impose a fait accompli
based solution.

~ The current status quo is the result of aggression and consequent
hostilities of Azerbaijan against NKR and its people. As an
initiator of the war, Azerbaijan carries full responsibility for the
consequences. The existing status quo is the minimum that allowed
guaranteeing the security and independence of NKR and its people
under Azerbaijani aggression. The policy of the NKR authorities is
directed to maintaining peace and guaranteeing the irreversibility
of the process of establishment of long-time stability in the
region. Changing the status quo, as we see it, will inevitably lead
to destabilization of the situation and escalation of tensions with
a possible resumption of hostilities.

During the years of Soviet rule, the leadership of the Azerbaijani SSR,
including "national leader" Heydar Aliyev, was trying to make Nagorno
Karabakh not self-sufficient and dependent on Baku, first of all with
their attempts to change the demographic composition of the population.

This was also the case while drawing the borders of the former Na gorno
Karabakh autonomous region. Today, they are trying to return Nagorno
Karabakh into the past. However these attempts are doomed to failure.

– Has the Nagorno Karabakh party received the "technical document",
which according to the information, provided by the French Co-chair
of the OSCE Minsk Group, was presented to the parties in Helsinki in
the framework of the OSCE Ministerial Council?

~ The Nagorno Karabakh authorities have not received this document yet;
however as a party to the conflict, acknowledged as such in accordance
with OSCE basic documents on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, we expect
to get it soon from the Minsk Group Co-chairs.