Recently, I found my interview dated 2001 on the Internet by A1+ TV channel with Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, in which he particularly has expressed the following thoughts, “You know, if the solution of the Karabakh status be the way we are striving for it, then yes, there is such a thing. Yes, these six territories, except for Lachin, the agreement or the peace document will suggest returning to Azerbaijan. I repeat and clearly qualify: if the status of Nagorno Karabakh be the way we want to.” In another place, it reads, “You know, no matter how painful it is, if there are residents there, if we obtain the desired status for Karabakh, all occupied territories, except for Lachin, should be returned.”
I remind this not because I accuse the current leader of the “Unity” party of something. On the contrary, I think that he was a competent foreign minister, and my concerns with the Unity party are connected with entirely other problems. It is another question that any “preceding government” presents its ruling period in more vibrant colors than it actually exists. In particular, he says, “you’re selling Karabakh while we were not.” But, eventually, it is a trifle thing given the serious challenges facing us.
In my opinion, the following is not a trifle: over 22 years, all our authorities were and are of the opinion that we have liberated (it’s better to use this word) the territories surrounding the former Autonomous Oblast of Nagorno Karabakh in exchange for the Karabakh status. And the mediators have always worked and are working on various options of this idea (except for the “Key West”, which of course is the worst option).
Today, it is already clear that it is a methodological mistake. I am against the lofty words: “betrayal”, “crime”, “sold”, “pro-Armenian”, “pro-Azerbaijani” and so on. And the problem is even not that Azerbaijan does not want to give any status to Karabakh, outside its jurisdiction. The problem is that these options are INFEASIBLE in a political and military sense and even technically. Much has been written about it and I do not want to be repeated. Our politicians and diplomats should think about other, a “non-exchangeable” model of the solution. And we all together should get ready for a new war.
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I do not think that there is an Armenian in the world who today will agree to cede the territories. But if such a thing occurs to anyone’s mind, please remember Winston Churchill’s thought: “The gov¬ern¬ment had to choose between war and shame. They chose shame. They will get war too.”
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
