Vartan Oskanian: Lachin corridor issue never discussed during talks

Vartan Oskanian: Lachin corridor issue never discussed during talks

PanARMENIAN.Net
20.04.2007 19:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Finally a chance occurred for settling the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
stated at the interview to Austrian newspaper Der Standart. He said,
currently Armenia and Azerbaijan discuss a text, which is very
rational and since we agreed on various moot points, "this document
offers a real chance for reaching an agreement." Speaking about how
close the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement is, the RA FM said,
"Close" is a relative notion. I mean, if compared with the previous
text, we’ve approached the solution. But we all must continue the
talks over its principles."

Mr. Oskanian underlined the issue of Lachin corridor has not been
discussed. "This corridor is a guarantee of free and unhampered
communication between Armenia and the Nagorno Karabakh. But it must
be viewed as a part of Nagorno Karabakh. Recently the Azeri side
tried to push forward the idea of its common use. But it has never
been a subject of talks. The international mediators too immediately
rejected that idea," Oskanian stressed.

The Armenian FM reminded that country’s former President Levon
Ter-Petrossian had to resign since he tried to settle the problem
step by step. "He was ready to return territories, which now are under
Armenia’s control, but without clear definition of Nagorno Karabakh’s
future status. It was unacceptable for the Armenian society. Today’s
difference is that all moot points are components of agreement,
if even its realization will be carried out step by step," Vartan
Oskanian said.