SARKISIAN SAYS KARABAKH MUST JOIN PEACE TALKS

Asbarez
Dec 16th, 2009
Yerevan

The Nagorno-Karabakh peace process will be successful only with the
participation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in the negotiations,
said President Serzh Sarkisian Tuesday during a meeting with a visiting
Karabakh parliamentary delegation.

"We must be well aware that the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process can
be crowned with success provided that the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
is immediately included in the negotiations. There is no other
alternative," Sarkisian told the visiting delegation.

"Everyone should know that the people of Nagorno-Karabakh defended
their independence with their blood, fighting a war imposed on them,"
added Sarkisian.

The Karabakh delegation head, parliament speaker Ashot Ghulian,
said that while the peace negotiations were proceeding actively,
the mechanisms of Karabakh’s participation in the talks remained
unresolved.

"The complete participation of Nagorno-Karabakh in the negotiation
process has not been clarified yet. It is a fundamental issue, because
the guarantee for the implementation of final decisions rests on the
people in Nagorno-Karabakh," said Gulian.

Meanwhile, Official Baku blasted Sarkisian’s comments Wednesday saying
that they were meant for internal/domestic consumption.

Azeri foreign ministry spokesman Elkhan Polukhov said Sarkisian made
the remarks in order to gain public support for Armenia’s position
in the negotiations.

"Such a statement by the occupier, Armenia, which holds 20 percent
of Azeri lands, contradicts principles and norms of international law
that prohibits the use of force and occupation of sovereign states,"
added Polukhov.

The Azeri spokesperson added that the active negotiation process proves
that Karabakh’s participation would not necessarily impact its success.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress