RA People’s Party leader supports preservation of status quo in Karabakh
13.02.2010 13:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ RA People’s Party leader Tigran Karapetyan spoke in
support of Karabakh status quo preservation in the issue of
NKR-Azerbaijan conflict.

`Status quo in NKR will keep superpowers’ interest focused on the
region. Final settlement of conflict will take the influence of US
over to Caspian Sea’ he told a news conference, adding, `Russia seeks
to expand collaboration with RA, to curb strengthening of Washington’s
influence in Armenia.’

Commenting on Armenia-Turkey rapprochement issue, RA People’s Party
leader expressed his doubts about Turkey’s ratification of Protocols.
`Ankara’s far-reaching aims lie in promotion of pan Turkism ideology,
which can be sabotaged in case Azerbaijan’s interests are opposed.’

Tigran Karapetyan characterized Serzh Sargsyan’s statement on the
readiness to invite his Azeri counterpart to possible ceremony of
Armenia-Turkey border opening as a clever diplomatic move. `The
question is whether Aliyev will agree to attend the ceremony, as the
day of opening will probably turn into a mourning day to Azerbaijan,’
RA PP leader concluded.

The armed conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out
in 1998, as result of the ethnic cleansing the latter launched in the
final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991
(when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a
ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno
Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions is now under
control of NKR defense army.

Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE
Minsk Group up till now.

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of
the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish
counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of
diplomatic talks held through Swiss mediation.
On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of
Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country’s Organic Law.