PanArmenian News
March 30 2005
ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER EXPLAINED WHAT CONCESSIONS ARMENIA CAN MAKE
ON KARABAKH CONFLICT
30.03.2005 04:55
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `It is obvious for me that the settlement of the
Karabakh conflict can be resolved peacefully, on the basis of
concessions’, Armenian Defense Minister Serge Sargsian stated during
the parliamentary hearings with the subject `Nagorno Karabakh
problem: Ways of Settlement’, Armenpress agency reports. The Minister
explained what concessions the Armenian party can make. `As a
principal concession we consider the fact that Armenian has not
recognized the Nagorno Karabakh Republic so far, though the NKR was
formed in accord with law and exists as an independent democratic
state for many years. It is the demonstration of good will to
preserve the process of peaceful settlement within the frames of the
OSCE Minsk Group’, S. Sargsian noted. As the second concession the
Minister named the item of the CE resolution 1416, which says that
the territory’s (i.e. Nagorno Karabakh) independence of the state
(i.e. Azerbaijan) can be achieved only via a legal and peaceful
process of democratic will of the population of the given territory.
In this context Serge Sargsian pointed out to the proposal of NATO PA
President Pierre Lellouche on conduction of a referendum among the
population of the former Nagorno Karabakh autonomy on the issue of
democratic self-determination of Nagorno Karabakh. Touching upon the
third concession Serge Sargsian noted that negotiations can be held
on the security zone. `I am not the adherent of returning the
territories forming the security belt. But I think that via
negotiations we can make certain concessions under the term that the
Azeri party will provide guarantees of non-resumption of war, which
will be confirmed by the guarantees of authoritative international
organizations and states’, Serge Sargsian stressed.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress