VARTAN OSKANIAN: FOR THE FIRST TIME CO-CHAIRS CONFIRM THAT KARABAKH’S STATUS WILL BE DETERMINED BY KARABAKH PEOPLE
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 28 2006
TBILISI, JUNE 28, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The revelation or
statement of the principles of the Nagorno Karabakh settlement by
OSCE Minsk Group American Co-chair Matthew Bryza was not complete but
partial. Two important principles were left out of it. Armenian Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian declared this at the June 28 joint press
conference with his Georgian colleague Gela Bezhuashvili in Tbilisi.
"First, one of the important components of settlement of the
problem should be ensuring of a corridor between Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh. Second, Nagorno Karabakh should have an intermediate status
until the status of Nagorno Karabakh is finally determined through
a referendum," Vartan Oskanian declared.
"For the first time the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs confirmed that the
Nagorno Karabakh status will be determined by the Nagorno Karabakh
people through a referendum," he emphasized.
According to radio Liberty, the Minister also declared that Armenia
considers that the principles put on the table by the Co-chairs "are
balanced and can contribute to the settlement of the problem." "Armenia
is ready to continue the negotiations with Azerbaijan on the basis
of these principles," Oskanian mentioned.
In response to a question of one of the Azerbaijani journalists, why
Armenia does not respect the resolutions of the UN Security Council
to immediately withdraw the troops from the occupied territories,
the Armenian Foreign Minister said: "The above mentioned resolutions
of UN do not mention Armenia as a country having occupied these
territories. Local Armenian forces are exactly sp oken about here."