Armenian authorities have no right to speak on behalf of Karabakh –
politician
Noyan Tapan news agency
3 Jul 05
YEREVAN
“The Armenian authorities are not authorized to speak on behalf of
Artsakh [Nagornyy Karabakh] today because Armenia has not yet
recognized Artsakh’s independence and has not declared it as its
integral part, Aram Sarkisyan, leader of the Democratic Party of
Armenia, has told journalists.
He expressed his confidence that the authorities of the Nagornyy
Karabakh Republic [NKR] should take back the right to defend the
interests of the NKR since “the Armenian authorities are up to their
eyeballs in corruption, and therefore, will easily agree to make any
compromise”.
A draft frame agreement on a peaceful solution to the Karabakh
conflict was adopted at a recent meeting between public
representatives of Armenia, Nagornyy Karabakh and Azerbaijan in Moscow
within the framework of the Dortmund conference on regional conflicts,
Sarkisyan said.
He believes that the implementation of this project will make it
possible to organize a negotiating process in which all three parties
will be in the same position. The project envisages that discussions
on the thorniest issues like the recognition of the NKR’s independence
by Azerbaijan and the return of the territories to Azerbaijan should
be avoided at the first stage.
Aram Sarkisyan said that the parties considered it expedient to divide
the settlement process into three stages. The first stage will define
the format of the negotiations, including statements by the
conflicting sides recognizing only a peaceful solution to the
problem. The second stage envisages confidence building measures along
with joint ecological and cultural programmes. The third stage
includes a comprehensive solution to the conflict stipulating both the
approval of Karabakh’s political status and a solution to Azerbaijan’s
territorial claims.
[Passage omitted: Other representatives of Armenia took part in the
meeting with journalists]