ARMENIA INSISTS ON KARABAKH’S PARTICIPATION IN PEACE PROCESS

/ARKA/
July 27, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, July 27. /ARKA/. Armenia always demanded and still demands
that Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) takes direct part in Karabakh
peace process, Armenian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Shavarsh
Kocharian said in his interview to Public TV of Armenia.

Declassification of Madrid Principles shows on the one hand that
mediator countries’ presidents do not address the main side to
the conflict – the NKR, and this gives way to concerns, the Deputy
Minister said.

Madrid Principles on settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict envisage
a referendum for establishing Karabakh’s status, land communication
between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, provision of security guarantees
and withdrawal of the troops from the territories under NKR’s control.

On the other hand Madrid document implies that the NKR is a party to
the process, Kocharian said.

This means that soon Azerbaijan will have to reckon with
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic if it wants to continue the negotiations,
Armenian Deputy Minister said.

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict started in 1988 when Nagorno-Karabakh
with prevailingly Armenian population declared its withdrawal from
Azerbaijan.

On December 10 1991, just a couple of days before the collapse of
the Soviet Union, 99.89% of Karabakh’s population voted for full
independence from Azerbaijan in a referendum held in the country in
the pres ence of international observers.

In response, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale war against
Nagorno-Karabakh.

Active operations were ceased on May 12 1994 by signing a cease-fire
agreement that has been maintained since then. The military operations
led to about 25-30,000 deaths; a million of people had to leave
their homes.

Since 1992 negotiations have been held on peaceful settlement of the
conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by
the USA, Russia and France.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress