RPA URGES AZERBAIJANI FM STOP BUILDING CASTLES IN AIR

news.am
March 17 2010
Armenia

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov’s statements on a
phased settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are nonsense,
Press Secretary of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Eduard
Sharmazanov told NEWS.am, commenting on the Azeri FM’s interpretation
of the Madrid document.

"I would like to call on the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister to stop
building castles in the air. Nagorno-Karabakh’s future status can by
no means be inferior to its present status," Sharmazanov said.

He said that Baku wants to settle the conflict, but Azerbaijan
must first withdraw its troops from the occupied territories of
Nagorno-Karabakh (Shahumyan, Getashen and Martunashen) and allow
Armenian refugees to return there.

As regards Turkish Premier Recep Erdogan’s "nervous statements,"
Sharmazanov said that they are one more proof that Turkey cannot
"find the strength" to admit historical facts – the way to Europe is
closed to her as it is.

Commenting on the Turkish Premier’s threats to expel Armenians from
the country, Sharmazanov said that the more states recognize the
Armenian Genocide the more significant the Armenian factor will
be for Erdogan. "Erdogan spoke of 5,000 Armenians in Turkey, then
about 70,000 an now the figure is 100,000. It is time for Ankara to
understand that Yerevan is not to be talked to in terms of ultimatums.

Ankara had better deal with the ratification of the protocols instead
of making senseless statements," he said.