Erjanik Abgaryan says about Levon Ter-Petrosyan.
RA First President Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s speech made on September 21, in particular the part of that speech regarding the NK conflict settlement was discussed in different ways in the political circles.
In particular the politicians from the authority declared that Levon Ter-Petrosyan didn’t offer any kind of project for the NK conflict settlement, others added that the policy of the First President in the context of the NK settlement had remained the same.
Member of ANM administration and “Armat” public-political center Erjanik Abgaryan noted that it should be clearly understood what Levon Ter-Petrosyan had said in his speech, and the policy he had carried out in time. “People haven’t understood Ter-Petrosyan’s Karabagh policy while the issue has a very simple explanation. We started Karabagh movement in 1988 based on the principle of nations’ self-determination written in UN declaration and Helsinki final act. Regarding the latter, the principles of territorial integrity and peoples’ self-determination are almost equally expressed. But our “wise” politicians who criticize Ter-Petrosyan , didn’t notice that Paris Charter was adopted in 1990, where the principle of inviolability of states’ borders was prior than the principle of peoples’ self determination. The principle of territorial integrity was enforced by different European charters. The Armenian delegation faced to that new reality in Lisbon in 1996. Levon Ter-Petrosyan used his right and put veto on that document. It became clear for us that the way we wanted to solve the issue was under question. What should a normal authority think? It should think of third way, to avoid worse scenarios, especially when the interests of Armenia in 1997 needed in immediate settlement of the conflict, since the resources of our country’s further development became reducing. Just in that situation the NK authorities became against it, though Levon Ter-Petrosyan adopted very realistic decision profitable for the Armenian people: we were involving in the process of the settlement. The projects of Baqu-Jeihan oil pipe-line, TRASECA, gas pipeline constructions were already known in 1997. Armenia’s participation in hose projects was of vital and strategic importance. Not participating in those projects meant for our country isolation, lack of resources and poverty. Since the resources of Armenia will reduce comparing with the resources of Azerbaijan in 2002, the authorities decided to accept OSCE Minsk group co-chairs’ proposals with several reservations. The “phase” settlement was the only version among all versions, where the NK would be the part of Azerbaijan. That was the most prospective version, and several strategic issues would be solved by yielding several territories. This policy was realistic and profitable for Armenia but was failed by the current authorities and their supporters,”- E. Abgaryan said. Why didn’t the NK authorities agree? In ANM representative’s opinion, the Karabagh party said that it meant to yield Karabagh. “ It was only spoken about mutual concessions”.