11:52, 24 December, 2021
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian gave an exclusive interview to ArabNews.
Armenpress presents the part of the interview relating to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
-I have several questions about Azerbaijan, but one more question about the perceptions and the reality. Maybe people here are not talking much about it, but there is a perception in the Middle East, which, maybe, is spread by Turks or Azerbaijanis, that this is a religious war.
-It was never, never a religious war. Armenia has wonderful relations with a lot of states where Islam is a major religion. The Azeri side sometimes liked to use that in order to accumulate support from Islamic world. But Armenia, Armenian side never tried to use or get support from Christian states because this is a Christian war. Not at all, it was never.
-As it stands internationally Karabakh is considered Azerbaijan. So what can we do, probably the OIC, the Gulf region, everybody has an interest to bring peace. So what position do you expect from the GCC or the OIC to help end this conflict?
-Basically, I think, I would expect all of our friends, be that in the Gulf, in the Middle East or in Europe, to help to bring a logical end to this conflict.
-What would the logical end look like?
-As I said, 26 years ago Armenia was victorious and we failed somehow to use the position of being in a victory to converting that into peace. Of course, taking into account the rights of these people that live in Nagorno Karabakh, Armenians with their history of more than thousands of years. I think for the moment the war has just finished and there are so many emotions, wounds, unresolved issues, be that starting on the borders, demarcation and all of that stuff, and of course the future of Nagorno Karabakh and people there. There is an internationally agreed institution which is the OSCE Minsk Group and the Co-Chairs. There are still voices that I think we should go back and allow these negotiations to happen. There is a new reality where there is huge influence of the Russian Federation into the region because they were the once they brought the ceasefire, they are the ones who are offering to help both Armenia and Azerbaijan on the border demarcation and other issues related to that. Of course, there is the presence of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh today. So, I would not say that the issue is resolved finally. Where we will get and how, what will be the final resolution, I think, time will show. But my advice will be, let’s try to help, that any solution that we will get the final solution, will be logical. A solution that will be acceptable by both sides. Any solution which is forced will not last forever.
