ARF CALLS FOR NALBANDIAN’S RESIGNATION

Yerkir
Jul 16th, 2009

YEREVAN (Yerkir)–The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Supreme
Council of Armenia on Thursday issued an announcement calling for the
resignation of Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian, saying
"Armenia’s foreign policy has deviated from the main provisions of
its national security strategy."

"For the purpose of eliminating the negative consequences that have
emerged in the foreign policy domain and restoring the national-state
course, we demand the resignation of Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian, who is immediately responsible for the sphere," said
ARF Supreme Council of Armenia chairman Armen Rustamian at a press
conference Thursday.

The ARF Supreme Council of Armenia has called for foresight and
political will from the governments of Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic to work in tandem to secure "our place and capabilities in
the region."

"We anticipate that the Armenian President will not sign any document
that will ignore the will of the Karabakh people, which has already
been expressed through two referendums, and will make every effort
to bring the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic into the negotiations as a
full party to the conflict," said the statement.

"If, God forbid, such a document is signed, our struggle will receive
a completely different nature," said Rustamian adding that the20ARF
has "repeatedly said that no matter who the incumbent president is,
we will oppose such a policy with all available constitutional means,
including by demanding [the president’s] resignation."

"The president still has an opportunity to make a drastic change in
the situation and, most importantly, not to sign the document that
is being proposed today," he said.

Rustamian also said that while Armenia’s recognition of Karabakh’s
independence was always a priority, the time had come for Armenia and
Karabakh to sign a strategic political agreement, whereby Armenia is
clearly identified as the guarantor of Karabakh’s security, calling
it a "serious step."

Rustamian also announced that the ARF had addressed letters to
the ambassadors of the United States, France and Russia to Armenia
informing them of "the deepest disappointment of Armenians around
the world with the unjustified and groundless pressure of the
Minsk Group co-chairing countries on Armenia for the purpose of
imposing unilateral and dangerous concessions in the issue of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict."

The ARF asserted that "the concessions will imperil the security
of Armenia, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the Armenian people;
increase the prospects of renewed Azeri aggression; and undermine
the ability of the parties to the conflict to reach a truly lasting
and durable peace."