“The Madrid called principles were negotiated under Robert Kocharyan’s term. There is nothing there about corroboration of a legal status to Nagorno-Karabakh as Armenia’s integral part.” “What had happened in Astana? They have said there that Armenian cannot be a founding member of the Eurasian Economic Union. The issue of Nagorno-Karabakh, and Aliyev’s “Letter to the Russian King” are all pretexts. Nazarbayev, definitely, is not the “first violin” in EEU. The matter is within the “good wishes” of Russia”, said the Chairman of the NKR NA Foreign Affairs Committee, Vahram Ataneyan, in the conversation with “Aravot”, referring to the developments taken place in Astana at the Eurasian Economic Union panel session. In response to our question of how he assesses the reading of Ilham Aliyev’s letter by Nursultan Nazarbayev, Nazarbayev’s basic requirement that Armenia will enter into the Customs Union without NKR, and Serzh Sargsyan’s silence, our interlocutor said, “I feel sorry that the Armenian political scientific and expertise thought does not segregate the primary from the secondary, and the media has to convey their thoughts.” After Serzh Sargsyan’s strange silence in Astana, similarly strange were his statement made in Tsaghkadzor, at the meeting with RPA Youth organization, regarding the events in Astana. Recall that Serzh Sargsyan had said that it is first and foremost wrong to speak about borders. “What borders are we talking about? Nagorno-Karabakh’s issue is not addressed in the framework of the Customs Union. Who says that we are going to join the Customs Union together with Nagorno-Karabakh? It is impossible because presently Nagorno-Karabakh does not constitute the part of Armenia at least according to our legislation and our notions. On the other hand, our membership in the Customs Union unequivocally stimulates the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Of course, we did not like what Nazarbayev said but it can’t harm us anyway.” To the question of whether this is a diplomatic game, or the Armenian state are currently facing real dangers, Vahram Atanesyan responded, “The President Serzh Sargsyan had said that the Nagorno-Karabakh issue cannot be resolved in the framework of the Customs Union and EEU.
This issue should not be politicized, if the CU and the EEU, as they say the founding member states, are not political structures. It is a very comprehensive and clear message. Who wants to “pack” Nagorno-Karabakh issue with a “trademark” of this-or-that structure in the post-Soviet territory? We can make far-reaching conclusions. Armenian does not want this and should do everything to exclude the version of “Cowboy’s decision”. Our interlocutor is of the opinion that the situation is not as such that needs corrections. “It just needs to direct the diplomatic effort that the attempts to degrade the format of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship fail. It is also the task of the OSCE Chairman-in-office and the Co-Chairs,” he said. In this context, Vahram Atanesyan signifies the visit of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, President of Switzerland, Didier Burkhalter, to the regional. “Status quo is really not an option, and we should try to make a step by step move to the peace,” stated Mr. Didier Burkhalter in Yerevan. As an OSCE co-chair country, the European diplomat said that Switzerland would try to strengthen the ceasefire regime, to encourage the suggestion of investigating non-executed incidents, which was raised but did not get the approval by the parties, remain unfulfilled. Also reaching the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict through dialogue, within the Madrid principles, highlighting Francois Hollande’s proposal about the meeting with the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Vahram Atanesyan reminds that the Madrid principles have been officially rejected by Azerbaijan. “On May 28, Aliyev had declared, “Nagorno Karabakh will not be given any legal status.” Previously, he was not so tough in his expressions. Apparently, Azerbaijan is in the eve of making a new choice, and has a strong desire to possibly “be sold at a high costs” to Russia with regard to EEU. Will France be successful in organizing Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting? I doubt it. And the main concern is just that.” In fact, the office of the second president of Armenia also responded to the statements raised in Astana. Viktor Soghomonyan had informed Yerkir.am that joining any international organization cannot justify the formation of barriers between Armenia and Artsakh. Responding to Serzh Sargsyan’s statement that Nagorno-Karabakh does not constitute a part of Armenia by our notion, Robert Kocharian’s spokesman said, “By Robert Kocharyan’s notion, Nagorno-Karabakh constitutes Armenia’s integral part, and we all should strive for its ultimate legal corroboration.” At the request of “Aravot”, commenting on these observations, Vahram Atanesyan said, “Robert Kocharyan was the President of Armenia over 10 years. At some point, the parties were close to agreement based on the “Paris Principles”. Anyway, no document was signed in Key West. However, I have to say that debates on this option, so far, has not put out, the matter is about the so-called “exchange of corridors”. And when Ilham Aliyev was “elected” the President, everything “started from scratch”. The Madrid called principles were negotiated under Robert Kocharyan’s term, and there is nothing there about corroboration of a legal status to Nagorno-Karabakh as Armenia’s integral part.”
NELLY GRIGORYAN
