NKR President Sahakyan: `The main bone of contention is territorial’
2009/05/09 | 17:01

Nagorno Karabakh important politics
Anahit Danielyan

Today in Shushi, amidst celebrations marking the 17th anniversary of
the town’s liberation, NKR President Bako Sahakyan told reporters that
he had a chance to confer with President Sargsyan after his arrival
from Prague regarding the recent round of Karabakh talks and that he
saw no cause for undue concern.

`Armenia, represented by President Sargsyan, is attempting to restore
the decision of the Budapest Summit according to which the NKR must be
a full-fledged party to the negotiations process,’ stated NKR
president Bako Sahakyan to reporters at a press briefing in Shushi.

President Sahakyan noted that the NKR was also raising this point of
contention with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs during meetings between
the two sides.

`As you see, they raise the necessity of this point in their
statements. No one denied the fact and all understand that without the
participation of the NKR we cannot accept any final resolution of the
issue,’ underlined President Sahakyan.

As to the point raised by French Minsk Group Co-chair Bernard Fassier
regarding the participation of all Karabakh communities in the talks,
President Sahakyan noted that this formula was deemed as unacceptable
by the NKR government and that it had made its objection known to the
co-chairs.

As to possible principles for ongoing negotiations, President Sahakyan
stated that three underlying principles had surfaced in the process –
territorial integrity, a resolution of the conflict only by peaceful
means, and NKR self-determination, even to the degree of the
recognition of independence.

`We are not opposed to a peaceful resolution of the conflict and state
as much in all our pronouncements.

Naturally, the main bone of contention is a territorial one. There
exists a territorial integrity; the territorial integrity of the
NKR. That’s an issue between us and Azerbaijan. I believe that the
quicker the political leadership backs away from bellicose statements
the quicker we will come to a final settlement,’ stated the NKR head
of state.