SAAKASHVILI MEDDLES IN KARABAKH CONFLICT PROCESS

Asbarez
Dec 23rd, 2009

TBILISI (Combined Sources)-Georgia’s president, Mikheil Saakashvili
Wednesday called for unmediated dialogue between Armenia and
Azerbaijan to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, implied his
support for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, and urged coordination
of Armenia-Turkey ties with Azerbaijan.

"There is only one solution to the [Karabakh] problem – direct
negotiations between the countries and observance of international
law, including guarantees for people to return to their homeland and
respect for national sovereignty," Saakashvili told the Russian-based
Echo of Moscow radio.

The Georgian leader said that normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations
should be coordinated with Azerbaijan, adding that the Armenia-Turkey
process should serve as a blueprint for future Armenia-Azerbaijan
talks without international mediators.

To outline his insistence for removal of international mediators
from the Karabakh talks, Saakashvili claimed the main problem with
the conflict resolution was that Russia is the main "key holder"
in the process.

"Let Saakashvili mind his own country’s territorial problems and not
meddle in other peoples’ conflicts," said Armenian parliament member
Shirak Torosyan who is the chairman of Javakhk Compatriotic Union in
response to Saakashvili’s remarks.

"It would be better for Saakashvili to guarantee rights to the
minority population in Georgia in order to avoid ethnic conflict
in its own borders," added Torosyan, saying the Karabakh issue was
settled when, through a national referendum, the Nargorno-Karabakh
Republic declared independence.

"I would like to emphasize that Karabakh shed blood for its
independence and no one has the right to usurp that, said Torosyan
who claimed Saakashvili’s support for Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity stemmed from his own inability to address conflicts within
his country’s borders.

Giro Manoyan, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s political
director said Saakashvili did not support normalization of relations
between Armenia and Turkey, since it would minimize its role in
the region.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress