KARABAKH MINISTER MEETS BRITISH BARONESS
Mediamax news agency, Yerevan,
26 Sep 06
Yerevan, 26 September: The foreign minister of the Nagornyy Karabakh
republic (NKR), Georgiy Petrosyan, today expressed concern at
Azerbaijan’s attempts to refer the resolution of the Karabakh problem
from the OSCE Minsk Group to the UN.
Georgiy Petrosyan was speaking at a meeting with the deputy speaker
of the British House of Lords, Baroness Caroline Cox. Cox arrived in
Stepanakert [Xankandi] as the head of a delegation of British and US
philanthropists, Mediamax learnt from the NKR foreign ministry.
"We are seriously studying the current situation and drawing
conclusions so as to take relevant steps," the NKR foreign minister
noted.
At the same time, Georgiy Petrosyan stressed that it is impossible
to resolve the issue that concerns the fate of a whole people
without considering their own opinions. "We played our role in the
establishment of the cease-fire but why are we today deprived of the
right to strengthen peace?" Petrosyan said.
Asked about relations with Armenia, Petrosyan stressed: "Armenia is
a guarantor of the NKR’s independence and security. As for political
relations, there is a principle of non-interference between the
two republics."
Speaking about the ongoing information warfare, the minister spoke
on a fuss made by Baku over fires in the border zone.
"We have turned to the OSCE with a proposal that monitoring be
conducted for an objective opinion on the happenings to be formed.
The republic’s authorities are ready to receive international experts
and show all what interests them," the NKR foreign minister noted.
[Arminfo, Yerevan, in Russian 1457 gmt 26 Sep 06 said that NKR leader
Arkadiy Gukasyan received Cox and assured her that they intend to
resolve the Karabakh conflict peacefully and that the establishment of
"mutual trust" between parties to the conflict is a "prerequisite"
for this.]