SARKISIAN WARNED AGAINST SIGNING ‘KARABAKH DEAL’
Sarkis Harutiunian
July 16 2009
A political party in Armenia known for its hard line on national issues
has warned President Serzh Sarkisian against signing any framework
agreement with Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region
that would be based on the latest principles offered by international
mediators.
At a press conference in Yerevan on Thursday, a senior representative
of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) did not
rule out a demand for Sarkisian’s resignation if the latter signed a
document based on the so-called Madrid principles that Dashnaktsutyun
deems as running against the interests of both Armenia and Karabakh.
Sarkisian will fly to Moscow on Friday to hold talks with his
Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliev. The meeting in the Russian
capital will come a week after the presidents of France, Russia,
and the United States – the three countries that jointly co-head the
Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) leading international efforts on mediating a solution to the
Karabakh conflict – issued a joint statement urging the presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan "to resolve the few differences remaining
between them and finalize their agreement" on the most recent draft
of the Madrid principles.
These principles proposed by the mediators as a basis for further
negotiations, in particular, call for the "return of the territories
surrounding Karabakh to Azerbaijani control" and "future determination
of the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh through a legally
binding expression of will."
Dashnaktsutyun Executive Council of Armenia representative Armen
Rustamian said on Thursday that "if, God forbid, such a document is
signed, our struggle will receive a completely different nature."
"We have repeatedly said that no matter who the incumbent president is,
we will oppose such a policy with all available constitutional means,
including by demanding [the president’s] resignation," said Rustamian.
Earlier this week, Dashnaktsutyun presented a demand for the
resignation of the foreign minister in the Sarkisian cabinet.
The party had scheduled a picket near the Foreign Ministry building
in Yerevan for Thursday afternoon, but canceled it after President
Sarkisian declared July 16 a day of national mourning in Armenia
over a deadly plane crash in Iran in which 168 people, including 36
Armenians, were killed while traveling from Tehran to Yerevan.
Among Dashnaktsutyun’s demands, which were also echoed by the
participants of the party-hosted large forum in Karabakh capital
Stepanakert last weekend, is that Yerevan paves the way for Karabakh
to return to the negotiations with Azerbaijan as a full party.
A statement adopted by the Dashnaktsutyun Executive Council of
Armenia earlier this week called for the resignation of Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian because "Armenia’s foreign policy has
deviated from the main provisions of the national security strategy."
"For the purpose of eliminating the negative consequences that have
emerged in the foreign policy domain and restoring the national-state
course, we demand the resignation of Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian, who is immediately responsible for the sphere," said
Rustamian, presenting the summary demand of the statement.
Rustamian explained that by not demanding President Sarkisian’s
resignation, Dashnaktsutyun shows that it does not want to "disrupt
the works", but instead seeks a "drastic change" in the situation.
"The president still has an opportunity to make a drastic change in
the situation and, most importantly, not to sign the document that
is being proposed today," he said.
Rustamian also announced that Dashnaktsutyun had prepared a letter
addressed to the ambassadors of the United States, France and Russia
to Armenia informing them of "the deepest disappointment of Armenians
around the world with the unjustified and groundless pressure of
the Minsk Group co-chairing countries on Armenia for the purpose of
imposing unilateral and dangerous concessions in the issue of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict."
Another Armenian party, Zharangutyun, also known as a vocal critic
of Sarkisian’s policy on Karabakh, hinted at possible cooperation
with Dashnaktsutyun in opposing a deal with Azerbaijan based on the
Madrid principles.
Larisa Alaverdian, a member of the party’s parliamentary faction,
emphasized at a separate press conference on Thursday that Zharangutyun
was the first to declare they would demand Sarkisian’s resignation
if he signed any document based on the Madrid principles.
"I am glad we have some ground for cooperation with such an old and
established political force as Dashnaktsutyun," said Alaverdian. "I
have criticized Dashnaktsutyun on many occasions over domestic matters
before. But it is good that [in this issue] our viewpoints match."
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