Chairman of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, Artak Zakaryan, assures that there has never been a problem of returning the territories, it has also emerged even after the visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. In response to the question of Aravot.am that at the joint press conference with Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, Mr. Lavrov has reminded that “Armenia has not rejected the Kazan document”, so what it means that Russia tends to the version of the Madrid principles of solution of the NK conflict settlement, which enshrines in paragraph 3, “Armenian forces shall redeploy from all the territories adjacent to former NKAO”, consequently, the public’s concerns about handing over the liberated territories of Nagorno-Karabakh are appropriate, Mr. Zakaryan responded as follows: “There have never been any talks about the returning of territories. The problem is the priority of Karabakh status. As long as this status is not clarified, there are no required guarantees, it is pointless to speak about the problems.”
According to Mr. Zakaryan, Lavrov main message was to return to the peaceful settlement course and there is no need for a new ceasefire agreement as we have an open-end ceasefire agreement which was signed and reconfirmed between the parties in 1994-95, and the point that the problem has no military solution, we must do everything to return Azerbaijan to the field of peaceful settlement”. To our observation that according to some analysts Lavrov’s visit prepares a ground for the deployment of Russian peacekeepers on the border of Nagorno-Karabakh, Mr. Zakaryan urged not to worry about this issue yet, “Today, it is early to speak about it. The most important issue is the clarification of the status and ensuring security guarantees for the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. And the status must be based on the right to self-determination.”
Vice-Chairman of “Heritage” party, Armen Martirosyan, unlike his RPA partner, has serious concerns and does not think that Lavrov’s statements were in favor of us. “The only substantive point in Lavrov’s statement was that we must move ahead with the 1994 ceasefire agreement. But we are not moving ahead even with it as because of our authorities, several key positions in the north and south are in the hands of Azerbaijan. In 1994, there was also a ceasefire on a paper, with ink and seal but we see that this ceasefire did not work for years.” Mr. Martirosyan reminded that they were always against the Madrid principles and stressed, “We can no way return a territory to Azerbaijan in this situation so that they will serve a springboard for further attacks. Kazan’s document actually was the reflection of the Madrid notorious principles.”
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On this occasion, he compared with Ukraine from where the nuclear weapon was taken out which was number one security guarantee of this country, and what happened after that, “The same is ours. We have liberated territories and a capacity to liberate again, so the greatest guarantee for us is this, we do not have territories, even if we have the ability to take defensive action, anyway, it will cost expensive on us. Liberated regions are strategic regions not only related to Artsakh but also Armenia. I do not think that a small corridor in Meghri and the narrow passage in Syunik which can be covered by long-reaching cannons from both sides are security guarantees.”
To our reminder that the representatives of the ruling party urge not to worry about the return of the territories because first of all the issue of Karabakh’s status must be resolved, Mr. Martirosyan responded, “The issue of Karabakh’s status was resolved in 1994 at the cost of the lives of thousands of Armenian boys and girls. If we are talking about the international recognition, then this issue has always been raised during these 25 years, and if the governance system were not aimed at keeping the government and usurping the state resources, we and the progressive countries would have recognized the NKR.” In conclusion, Armen Martirosyan said, “Perhaps, the representatives of the ruling party have forgotten the double pogroms in Shoushi and Baku. Some time later, we will see that we have only a security paper in our hands and nothing else. The Madrid principles are not beneficial for us, no matter how it is presented: by Kazan document or otherwise.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
