HE EDITED SERGE SARGSYAN AND KOCHARYAN
A1+
[07:09 pm] 18 December, 2007
Today the RA Minister of Foreign Affairs Vardan Oskanyan tried to
edit viewpoints of Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan expressed during
his visits in abroad.
In the interview in the United States Serge Sargsyan mentioned, that
the religious difference of the two nations was a serious problem and
was the basis of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Vardan Oskanyan had to
explain Serge Sargsyan’s declarations to Azerbaijani journalists that
religious difference did not lay in the basis of Karabakh conflict.
Today he informed the Armenian journalists that nations’
self-determination problem was the basic problem of Karabakh conflict
to be settled. Besides the declaration in the US, Vardan Oskanyan
tried to explain Serge Sargsyan’s words on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
in the interview to "Reuters" agency. Serge Sargsyan said that a
document might be signed on Karabakh negotiation process by 2008
presidential elections.
As compared with Serge Sargsyan, Robert Kocharyan is not an optimist
in this regard. Kocharyan ensured that by 2008 presidential elections
no document might be signed on Karabakh problem. Oskanyan tried to
elucidate Sargsyan’s optimism.
"I am also an optimist in regard with negotiations. It is a common
endeavor to come to consensus on basic principles, which will be
followed by a great procedure. This 2,5-paged document should turn
to a 30-50-paged agreement on peace and we should negotiate on the
details. The sooner we begin, the better for us", explained Oskanyan.
As to Robert Kocharyan’s pessimism in this regard, Vardan Oskanyan
said joking: "A pessimist is the well-informed optimist".
Oskanyan also added: "The President may approach this problem
from another point of view, he may be more cautious. If we do not
have that hope, it will be difficult for us to negotiate. Thus, we
should negotiate hoping to register progress. And the document we
are negotiating on is advantageous for us".
In the interview with "Routers" in Brussels Serge Sargsyan also said
that he had been participating in the development of Armenia’s policy
on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement and approved the document
submitted to the concerned parties in Madrid.
Vardan Oskanyan doubted to say anything: "Maybe you have misunderstood
something. Only the President is competent to approve the
document. Maybe the Prime Minister has not chosen correct words. He
could not say he agreed with the document, since as we know only the
President can do that. I think that the Prime Minister said he was
completely aware of the content of the document. It’s not the right
time to express our approach on this problem".
We should mention that Vardan Oskanyan was surprised by Serge
Sargsyan’s declaration, while this part of his interview was
broadcasted by the Public TV Company.
Mr Oskanyan reminded the journalists, that when 2 days ago Azerbaijan
tried to shift the discussion of Karabakh conflict to the UN, Mr
Oskanyan announced that the Armenian part would stop the negotiations.
Oskanyan said that the negotiations continue today and we would
continue them.
He also pointed out that the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen presented
the document, on the main principles of the conflict solution,
to the parties in Madrid and did not bind it to the parties. "They
expressed their viewpoints in that document, but they did not bind
anything. The document is open to discussion. Their approaches are
expressed in it. We will express our viewpoint, Azerbaijan – its
viewpoint. I consider that the negotiations on this document will
continue in the next year", said Vardan Oskanyan.
"A1+" asked Mr Oskanyan to comment on presidential candidate Arman
Melikyan’s viewpoint, as if the liberated territories should not be
returned, since they were the compensation to the Azerbaijani-Armenian
refugees.
"I would not like to comment on anybody’s declarations, since we may
hear many viewpoints in this period. We have our position and we will
continue our path", said the RA Minister of Foreign Affairs.