CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS BY PACE RAPPORTEUR ON NAGORNY KARABAKH
PREVENT CONFIDENCE BUILDING IN THE REGION
STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 28. ARMINFO. The statements by PACE rapporteur on
Nagorny Karabakh David Atkinson are contradictory and are not
contributive to the regional confidence building and Karabakh conflict
settlement, says NKR presidential executive David Babayan commenting
on Atkinson’s interview to BBC.
Babayan says that Atkinson’s statements contradict both one another
and PACE’s position on ethnic conflict settlement. Particularly
Atkinson says that the principle of a nation’s right to
self-determination cannot be applied in the Karabakh peace process and
this issue should be settled in the framework of Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity. At the same time he hopes that the Azeri
authorities will start contacting with Nagorny Karabakh
representatives. It is not clear what they can discuss if the
settlement formula is already predetermined and is unacceptable for
all the conflicting parties.
Babayan sees no logic in assuming that Karabakh may have independence
in case of Azerbaijan’s consent and stating right away that Azerbaijan
will never give such a consent. Doesn’t this mean that PACE has no
clear position on the issue? Why is PACE based on Azerbaijan’s rather
than Nagorny Karabakh’s position? Doesn’t this mean that PACE is
partial? Babayan hopes that this is Atkinson’s personal opinion rather
than the stance of the whole European community whose policy is based
on the human values of equality and democracy.