Armenia’s position on Karabakh has not changed – president

Armenia’s position on Karabakh has not changed – president

Mediamax news agency
2 Sep 05

Yerevan, 2 September: “I have never given anyone cause to think that
our position regarding the settlement of the Karabakh conflict has
changed,” Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said in Stepanakert
today.

The Armenian president, who has arrived in Stepanakert to take part
in celebrations to mark the 14th anniversary of the establishment
of the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic [NKR], told journalists today that
“we keep to our previous position and the last 14 years have shown the
viability of the NKR which can have its own independent statehood”,
Mediamax reports.

The Armenian president stressed that the NKR can serve as an example
to other post-Soviet countries in a number of fields.

“Nagornyy Karabakh cannot be a subject of bargaining and the whole
Armenian people agrees with this,” Robert Kocharyan pointed out.

Commenting on the recent meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani
leaders in Kazan, Robert Kocharyan noted that the meeting made a
generally positive impression. “The negotiating process has positive
tendencies,” he said.

The Armenian leader noted that Nagornyy Karabakh was involved,
although indirectly, in the settlement process. In this connection,
Robert Kocharyan said that he has been holding serious discussions
with the NKR president [Arkadiy Gukasyan] before and after his meetings
on the settlement of the conflict.

NKR President Arkadiy Gukasyan refused to comment on the settlement
process, saying that it is confidential, Mediamax reports.

I think that it is too early to open the brackets, but I think that
everything is normal and Nagornyy Karabakh has no reasons to worry,”
the NKR leader said.