According to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Shavarsh Kocharyan, the foreign policy of our country is appreciated by the three co-chair countries
– The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs have visited the region once again – they have been to Yerevan, Stepanakert and Baku and said in their statement that it was necessary for the sides of the conflict to substantially improve the atmosphere of negotiations, strengthen the existing ceasefire, in order to reach further development in settling the conflict. The co-chairs also made a few proposals in the context of strengthening trust in different areas. Does all this mean that there will be substantial changes after this visit?
– The co-chairs paid more attention to the developments in the contact line during their visit – I am under the impression that they paid more attention to Azerbaijan by this visit, because what was required of Azerbaijan isn’t really carried out. Azerbaijan denies the proposal of the co-chairs concerning the withdrawal of snipers, there are violations of ceasefire regime, or they continuously speak of taking a step forward in settling the conflict and at the same time they violate the agreements, provoking incidents. All those are impeding factors for the peaceful negotiations.
– President of France Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit to Armenia was rather friendly, it was followed by the French President’s letters addressed to both the President of our country and the Minister of Foreign Affairs – does all this mean that France’s role increases in our country?
– Actually our relations with France are not new, those have always been quite friendly and it is not casual that this is the second visit of the French presidents – Jacques Chirac paid an official visit to Armenia, and now Nicolas Sarkozy has done, therefore the relations between our country and France have always been very friendly. On the other hand, there is the French President’s general assessment of our foreign policy. The fact that the President of France highly appreciates our foreign policy means we are able to pursue policy in such a complicated region, in such a controversial region that is appreciated in Paris, as well as in Moscow and the US, because one may also speak of US First Deputy Secretary of State William Burns’s visit. Generally Armenia managed to carry out policy that first of all is in our state interest. And the steps we have taken in the Karabakh issue and the Armenian-Turkish issue enable us to stand up and say with dignity that we have done it and as to what Turkey hasn’t done, that is the Turkey’s problem, as the saying goes the ball is in their court.
– Nevertheless, Sarkozy mentioned that we had reached a point, after which we had to advance – it means that we are expected to be more exact, doesn’t it?
– It means that the expectations the co-chairs had, particularly in Kazan, were, at the end of the day, the result of long work – it seemed that everything was agreed, it seemed that eventually the step that would commence more productive process would be taken, certainly the issue wouldn’t have been solved by that, and suddenly one of states withdrew. Ten new proposals. It is obvious that all the expectations, the eagerness and trouble spent on that issue and suddenly such a position of one of the sides, certainly, it should have caused disappointment. These statements be they the statements of the US, France or Russia should be considered in this context.
– Information was spread in mass media that the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia communicate quite friendly outside the negotiations process, even the Armenian and Azerbaijani languages are heard – is there anything bad in this?
– I must say from my own experience that usually, when one meets with representatives of parliamentary and social organizations of another country, there is always one who follows and his presence embarrasses others, but when that man is most probably not in sight, people behave more relaxed. On the other hand, the thing is that we understand each other very well in terms of everyday life, but as to the so-called conflict, a terrible thing takes place in here – you know what is awful, it is that Azerbaijan’s leadership carry out an anti-Armenian policy and spoil the youth. My assessment is that it is a serious crime, because, at the end of the day, we live side by side.
