ROBERT KOCHARYAN: ARMENIA’S RETALIATORY STEP TO AZERBAIJAN’S ACTIONS MAY BECOME RECOGNITION OF NAGORNO- KARABAKH
arminfo
2008-03-20 15:51:00
ArmInfo. Armenia’s retaliatory step to Azerbaijan’s actions may
become recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan said at a press-conference, Thursday, commenting upon the
aggravation of the situation on the contact line of Armenian-Azeri
and Karabakh- Azeri armed forces, as well as the recent UN resolution
on Nagorno-Karabakh and Baku’s statement on the OSCE Minsk Group.
According to him, if Baku continues its present policy, Yerevan’s
retaliatory step will be recognition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
and conclusion of agreements with this republic, particularly, in
the military sphere. Azerbaijan’s current activity in international
structures, particularly, in the UN is connected with Kosovo’s
problem. In particular, Azerbaijan is trying to create a counterbalance
to the Kosovo precedent and demonstrate that Kosovo can’t be a
precedent for Karabakh. But they played a wrong card, as the majority
of the countries abstained from supporting the resolution. "The NKR
has more rights to independence than Kosovo. Karabakh proclaimed its
independence in 1991, it has state structures, protects its borders
itself, it started the process of gaining independence earlier",
the president said.
Kocharyan also noted that there is no better format than the OSCE
Minsk Group. "If the format is not good enough for Azerbaijan, this
doesn’t mean that we should break the format. If they do not want to
negotiate, they can refuse to do it", Kocharyan said. He added that
Baku should think about the future and who will be responsible for
further developments in this case.