Is an NKR-Armenia Joint Statement Likely?

IS AN NKR-ARMENIA JOINT STATEMENT LIKELY?

Lragir.am
09 May 06

The past month in Karabakh was full of meetings with Armenian public
officials. Debates, parliamentary hearings and the meeting of the
parliamentary committee were held. Foreign Minister of Armenia Vardan
Oskanyan gave a surprise, visiting Stepanakert, and delivered a
lecture at Artsakh State University.

On May holidays Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan is visiting
Karabakh. What is the reason of such interest?

Vahram Atanesyan, Chair of the NKR Committee of External Relations,
said there is no need to look for a political context of this
activity. He mentioned that the delegation headed by Tigran Torosyan
arrived in Karabakh for the meeting of the parliamentary committee,
the delegation headed by Armen Rustamyan visited NKR for the
parliamentary hearings. For Oskanyan, he said you had better ask
him. In answer to our question if Karabakh and Armenia disagreeon the
principles of settlement of the Karabakh conflict, the leader of the
Democratic faction Vahram Atanesyan said at the moment Armenia should
not recognize the independence of NKR, and should claim a status of
Karabakh in the talks, which will not be inferior to the present
status. The leader of the parliamentary group ARF-Movement 88 Armen
Sargsyan said his political party claims the dominance of NKR in the
liberated territories, and silence over refugees and peacemakers, for
these would cause the war to ignite.

We possess information that during the NKR-Armenia Parliamentary
Session the two parliaments arranged to make a joint statement on the
settlement of the Karabakh issue. This statement has not been
considered so far. Answering the question of KarabakhOpen.com, NKR
Deputy Speaker Rudik Hyusnunts said, =80=9C During the session of the
Karabakh-Armenia Parliamentary Committee on April 26 and 27 in
Stepanakert a series of important legislative, political and social
questions were discussed, including the present state of debates on
the Karabakh issue in European organizations and parliamentary
relations, and the opportunities of spurring cooperation between the
parliaments of both countries.

During the debates the participants voiced the idea of issuing a joint
statement. However, considering the statement of the parliamentary
hearings involving the parliamentarians of both states on the Karabakh
issue, there was not a final decision on issuing another message.’