ARMENIA MAY RECOGNIZE INDEPENDENT KARABAKH IF TENSIONS GROW (PART 2)

Interfax
Nov 23 2009
Russia

Armenia may recognize independent Karabakh or sign an agreement on
mutual assistance if tensions around the unrecognized republic grow,
Armenian presidential press secretary Samvel Farmanian said.

"There are universal methods. If such developments occur, Armenia may
recognize independent Karabakh with all the consequences. Besides,
it is possible to sign an agreement on mutual assistance," he said.

"There are some options, and I am sure that Armenia will use some of
them or all. The sole reason why Armenia has not recognized independent
Karabakh is that it does not want to hamper the peace process. Once
the peace process stops and military actions begin, nothing will
prevent Armenia from recognizing independent Karabakh," he said.

"Escalation of tensions around the Karabakh conflict would be the most
undesirable outcome. That would be the most undesirable for Karabakh,
Armenia and the whole region. Yet Armenia cannot be indifferent to the
future of the Karabakh people. That is why, the Armenian president
and other officials said many times they were responsible for the
security of Karabakh," he said.

"The present-day reality is such that negotiations continue.

Armenia has always said it sees no alternative to a peaceful settlement
to the conflict. Armenia thinks it is possible to achieve a peaceful
and comprehensive solution through negotiations," he added

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev said two days before his Munich meeting
with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan that a war might resume in
the region if the meeting failed to bring results.

"If the meeting fails, the hopes we pin on negotiations will be
crushed, and we will have no other way out. We must be prepared [to
free the occupied Azerbaijani lands with military force]," Aliyev
said while visiting the Goranboy district of Azerbaijan.