FORMATION OF NATIONAL CONSENSUS INEVITABLE
Vardan Grigoryan
Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on April 10, 2008
At the moment when official Baku is taking consistent steps to make
the format of Armenian -Azerbaijani negotiations as a tool for the
guarantee of its "territorial integrity", Armenia, not refusing to
continue the negotiations in the framework of OSCE Minsk Group,
is trying to think of other methods and means to counterbalance
those tricks.
The beginning of the new President’s tenure and the formation of the
new government create additional political prerequisites for that.
That is why it is not accidental that the issue of adopting clearer
approaches regarding Karabakh issue is becoming a matter of more
extensive discussions. In this regard Armenian top officials,
different political figures and politicians have already submitted
various proposals and viewpoints. The session of the National Assembly
will discuss these proposals and make announcement.
Issues regarding the recognition of NKR by Armenia, signing an
agreement with NKR on ensuring joint security, and turning into the
format of Azerbaijan-Karabakh negotiations in case of failure, have
been advanced.
The fact that during the recent years Armenian diplomacy and Armenian
advocacy have been manifesting a passive attitude towards Azerbaijan’s
consistent political and propaganda activity in the international
tribunes, being satisfied with defense role only, has been especially
underscored. It is evident that each of this motivating proposals
and remarks need thorough discussion, only after which it will be
possible to find the succession of the exact steps.
But, in order to adopt new approaches regarding Karabakh issue and
to pursue a more active policy based on those approaches, we must
maintain political stability inside the country and start unconstrained
dialogue between the political powers. The tragic events of March 1-2
displayed that Azerbaijan is trying to use the political struggle in
Armenia to extort further concessions from Armenian side.
It is also evident that in the near future the international community
will try to make the negotiation process more active and to reach the
adoption of Madrid principles by Armenia and Azerbaijan. The existence
of these two facts gave rise to illusions for some people, to use the
new developments regarding Karabakh issue and to achieve a takeover.
The announcement made on April 8 by around twenty pro-oppositional
parties supporting Levon Ter-Petrosyan, where they are trying to
devaluate the negotiation process of the past 10 years and to represent
it as a unilateral chain of success for Azerbaijan, testifies to this.
It turns out that during the coming months Karabakh issue will turn
into the subject of negotiations, discussions and disputes of different
levels, influencing one another.
That is why, from this day on it is indispensable to adopt the
following principles of our stances and the ways to make them
perceptible for the international community.
First: Along with forming part of the negotiation process in the
framework of OSCE Minsk group, in the near future Armenian side must
undertake certain steps aimed at the security of Nagorno Karabakh –
to sign corresponding agreements with NKR and to obtain additional
guarantees for Armenia’s security from our foreign partners.
Second: The attempts to include Karabakh issue in the internal
political agenda must be counteracted by the discussions aimed
at the solution of this issue, not only in the National Assembly
but also outside, as well as the decisions based on consensus,
with the participation of all the interested sides including the
pro-oppositional powers.
Third: During the coming months, especially in Autumn 2008, during
the Presidential elections in Azerbaijan Armenian side must start
extensive political and propaganda counter attack – in the UN and by
submitting resolutions, initiatives, and proposals to the European
structures regarding Karabakh issue.
The maintenance of the internal political stability in Armenia and
the formation of interstate and national consensus are the ways to
put into practice the before mentioned principles and to change the
unfavorable moods introduced by Azerbaijan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
