DPA PROPOSES WORKING OUT NEW CONCEPTIONAL APPROACH INSTEAD OF MADRID PRINCIPLES

Noyan Tapan
Aug 27, 2009

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The Democratic Party of Armenia
(DPA) does not agree to Madrid Principles aimed at settling the
Nagorno Karabakh problem and proposes working out and presenting a
new conceptional approach instead of it. DPA Chairman Aram Sargsian
stated at an August 27 press conference. In his words, that decision
was made by the party’s Republican Board and was sent to the RA
President in the form of a letter.

In A. Sargsian’s opinion, Turkey and Azerbaijan have joined their
efforts and try to thrust some concessions upon Armenia. In his words,
the envisaged dislocation of peacekeeping forces of countries pursuing
multi-layer geopolitical interests in territories surrounding Karabakh
is fraught with new dangerous challenges. According to A. Sargsian,
Armenia, Azerbaijan and NKR will not agree to the appearance of
forces of the countries in the region, about the impartiality of
which they have strong doubts. Besides, in his words, presence of
such forces in hot points does not prevent a conflict and does not
provide stable peace.

DPA submits for a discussion the primary principles that should
replace Madrid Principles.

The letter addressed to the RA President, in particular, read:
"The sides agree to launch at least three parallelly proceeding
processes, and the results reached in them step by step will make
real the success of the political negotiations. These processes are:

1. Signing a reconciliation agreement between the conflict sides,
which works before the end of proper negotiations and is a basis for
giving up the propaganda of sowing hostility to one another.

2. Implementation of events under a specially worked out program for
forming an atmosphere of confidence and mutual understanding between
wide strata of population of both sides.

3. Implementation of economic cooperation programs, thanks to which
NKR’s participation in regional projects will create preconditions
for having direct contacts with Azerbaijan."