ARMENIA HAS NOT TAKEN A TEMPORARY TIMEOUT IN NEGOTIATIONS, VARDAN OSKANIAN STATES
Noyan Tapan
Jun 20 2007
YEREVAN, JUNE 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The statements of the Azerbaiajani
side that allegedly Armenia has taken a temporary timeout in the
negotiations on Nagorno Karabakh settlement do not correspond to
reality. RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian stated at the June 20
press conference.
In his words, Armenia has an exact position and is ready to continue
the negotiations. While, during the meeting held lately in Saint
Petersburg symptoms of renouncing some agreements by Azerbaijan were
noticed. "I suppose that with such statements Azerbaijan tries to
attack the first and to look for those guilty for postponing the
negotiations," V. Oskanian said.
In Minister’s words, we should wait and judge about the reasons of
Baku’s policy from Azerbaijan’s future steps.
RA Foreign Minister said that no issue of extension of OSCE Minsk
Group format has been discussed. As regards the possibility of NKR’s
taking part in the negotiations, this issue has been raised for many
times. In V. Oskanian’s words, NKR’s involvement in the negotiations
process will mean not extension of the format, but return to the
former format, that of 1997.
In V. Oskanian’s words, the way of NKR’s participation in the
association on non-recognized states in the CIS territory has not
changed, either. In Minister’s words, not NKR Foreign Minister,
but President’s Adviser Arman Melikian took part in the meeting
held lately in Tiraspol, who was present with the status of an
observer. V. Oskanian said that the Nagorno Karabakh problem differs
from those of another non-recognized states and is perceived by the
world just this way.
RA Foreign Minister said that at the meeting with Robert Simmons,
Special Representative of NATO Secretary General to the South Caucasus,
held the same day they had discussed not only Armenia’s bilateral
relations with NATO, but also regional developments and issues of
security. Touching upon the possibility of joint exploitation of
Azerbaijan’s Gabala station by Russia and the U.S., at the meeting with
Simmons V. Oskanian had expressed anxiety about breach of political
and security balance between the two countries as a result of this.