SARGSYAN CRITICIZES AZERBAIJAN FOR REFUSING TO SIGN AGREEMENT ON NON-USE OF FORCE
Interfax
March 23 2010
Russia
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan believes Azerbaijan’s refusal to sign
an agreement on the non-use of force in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh
territory may lead to negative consequences.
"I am looking for decisions that will enable the people of Nagorno-
Karabakh to develop safely on their historical territory. However,
warlike statements are being made in our region and there is an
increase in enmity and mutual mistrust," Sargsyan said at a joint press
conference with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad in Damascus,
Armenia Public Broadcasting reported on Tuesday.
"For that reason, I have recently publicly offered to Azerbaijan to
sign an agreement on the non-use of force or threat of force, which
will help establish stability and form an atmosphere of trust to a
certain degree.
By declining our offer, Azerbaijan is ignoring this important principle
of international law," Sargsyan said.
"It cannot lead to anything good. There was a similar situation in
the early 1990s, when we said the Nagorno-Karabakh issue should be
resolved peacefully. Azerbaijan chose the path of aggression and
today we have what we have," Sargsyan said.
In an earlier interview with Euronews television, Sargsyan called
on Azerbaijan to sign an agreement on the non-use of force, which he
said could help strengthen trust between the two countries.
However, an Azeri Foreign Ministry official said Armenia needed to
first "withdraw its troops from the occupied territories."