THE PRIORITY IS KARABAKH PEOPLE’S POSITION: YEREVAN RESPONDS TO BAKU

Tert.am
10:25 06.05.10

When it comes to the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict the
priority is the position of the people of Nagorno Karabakh which was
expressed yet in 1991 by a referendum, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson
of the Republic of Armenia Tigran Balayan told Tert.am when asked to
comment on recent statements by Azerbaijani officials.

"Armenia has backed that position and will continue doing so.

Azerbaijan is only wasting time: all the same sooner or later it
will have to take Nagorno Karabakhi people’s expression of will into
account," said Balayan.

Earlier some Azerbaijani officials said that Armenia has no position
in the settlement of this conflict and that the time Armenia allegedly
asked to think over the conflict has expired.

Particularly Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov had said
that "Armenia told Baku that it needs time to withdraw troops from
a part [meaning Lachin and Kelbajar] of the occupied territories
of Azerbaijan" adding that the time for that issue, as well as for
the return of the Azerbaijani people to Nagorno Karabakh is yet to
be scheduled.

On May 5 Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan had
also responded to the statement by the Azerbaijani officials.

"As soon as Baku is ready to return Nagorno Karabakh’s regions it has
occupied and to recognize the independence of the Republic of Nagorno
Karabakh, as soon as it get rids of a mindset and work style typical
of the Middle Ages, Baku can then ask NKR to held discussions over
mutually-beneficial issues," Kocharyan told local Armenian daily Azg.
From: Baghdasarian