AZERBAIJAN’S UNWILLINGNESS TO NEGOTIATE WITH NKR CHALLENGE TO
CIVILIZED SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT: ARKADY GHUKASYAN
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Sept 2 2005
YEREVAN, September 2. /ARKA/. Azerbaijan’s persistent unwillingness
to negotiate with the Nagorno-Karabakh side is a serious challenge to
a civilized settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem on the basis
of reasonable compromises, says a message of NKR President Arkady
Ghukasyan on the occasion of the 14th anniversary of the proclamation
of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR).
According to him, official Baku is doing all in its power to conceal
the NKR’s progress in building up a rule-of-law democratic state
from the Azerbaijani people by not allowing Azerbaijan’s citizens to
isit the NKR and communicate with the country’s people. “However,
this behaviour has no prospects, as it is more and more alienates
the two peoples from each pother thus postponing a comprehensive and
mutually acceptable settlement of the conflict,” President Ghukasyan’s
amessage says.
According to him, the unsettled conflict remains a factor posing a
threat of new destabilization of the situation in the region. The
NKR leader stressed the NKR’s commitment to a peaceful settlement
of the conflict with Azerbaijan. “Meanwhile, our people can be sure
that nobody can deprive us of our independence, which was gained at
the cost of irreparable losses. The NKR Defense Army is able to give
an effective rebuff to all those who will dare to encroach on our
Homeland. It has all necessary means for that,” Ghukasyan said.
However, the NKR has no right to be contented with what has been
achieved, as “by only presenting the passed way as heroism, without
clear plans for tomorrow, we can lose what we have achieved, which our
posterity will never forgive.” “We have to strengthen the country’s
defense capacity, speed up the development of the economic, social and
cultural sectors, completely employ the intellectual and spiritual
potential, industriousness and professionalism, multiply Artsakh’s
cultural heritage,” the NKR President’s message says.
According to him, such development is impossible without further
democratization of the NKR’s socio-political life, building up
of civil society. “This holiday each of us must fully realize
his responsibility for Artsakh’s future. Of course, we still have
many problems to solve. But we can overcome all the difficulties
only by combined efforts, conscientious labor, mutual confidence
and consideration of each Artsakh citizen’s needs and wants,” NKR
President Arkady Ghukasyan said in his message. P.T. -0–