STEPAN SAFARYAN: PRESIDENT TRYING "SPOIL THE GAME"

news.am
Nov 4 2009
Armenia

International experts and organizations have begun speaking of
possible clashes in the Nagorno-Karabakh zone, Head of the Heritage
parliamentary faction Stepan Safaryan told a press conference.

According to him, the threat is real, considering the available
information on the armaments purchased by Azerbaijan last year.

Safaryan stressed that the international community is trying to prevent
a conflict by persuading the conflicting parties into concessions. He
pointed out that European circles are more and more frequently
speaking of the need for Armenian troops to withdraw from the five
regions and, after peace-makers are stationed there, from the rest
two regions. A referendum or plebiscite on Nagorno-Karabakh’s status
can be held afterwards.

Safaryan pointed out that RA President Serzh Sargsyan tried to
"spoil the game" by going back on the agreements reached by Armenia’s
second President Robert Kocharyan (the Azerbaijani President accused
official Yerevan of raising issues settled much earlier), but failed –
the international community returned to the previous version.

According to Safaryan, the situation can only be remedied if Armenia
officially recognizes the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), which will
make Nagorno-Karabakh a negotiator. Also, it will enable Europe to
show its respect for nations’ right to self-determination "in deed."