KARABAKH IS NOT THE CAUSE, THE CAUSE IS AMONG US

Lragir, Armenia
Sept 27 2007

In a news conference on September 27 at the Pakagits press club the
leader of the National Democratic Union Vazgen Manukyan commented
on Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s thesis that the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict is the key to the resolution of the problems of Armenia.

However, Vazgen Manukyan did not mention Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s name
and declined to comment why after ten years of silence Ter-Petrosyan
decided to take part in the political process. However, Vazgen Manukyan
commented on Ter-Petrosyan’s thought and spelled out his approach.

"Sometimes one is amazed to hear people say as soon as we have the
Karabakh issue resolved, Armenia’s problem will be resolved, the cause
of the problems of Armenia is the Karabakh issue. I cannot understand
how the unsettled conflict in Karabakh can be the reason why no fair
election has been held since 1995. In addition, all the elections
were basically falsified. No referendum was fair. Did the Karabakh
issue cause the eviction of the residents of the present Northern
Avenue? Is the Karabakh issue the reason why Alec Arzumanyan, Jirair
Sefilyan, Vardan Malkhasyan and the others were sent to prison? I
cannot understand why the Karabakh issue is said to be the cause of
every problem," Vazgen Manukyan says.

He says the reason why we cannot build a state is among us and the
unsettled conflict over Karabakh has nothing to do with it. Vazgen
Manukyan says even the high prices in Armenia have little to do with
the blockade of Armenia which is the consequence of the unsettled
conflict over Karabakh. Vazgen Manukyan admits that the blocked roads
cause the prices to go up by several percentage points. "But not the
immense percentage, which stems from the uncontrolled economic system,
where a few persons, a few families are squeezing the property of
people," Vazgen Manukyan says.

He says it does not follow from his statements that the Karabakh issue
should not be settled, and its being unsettled does not affect life
in Armenia. "I think the resolution of the Karabakh issue will bring
about fundamental changes in our economy. Although, I think even if the
Karabakh issue is not solved, the Armenian and Turkish border can open
because it involves another knot of problems," Vazgen Manukyan says.

According to him, for Armenia Karabakh is a political, national and
economic value. "And the people who will readily shoot you for a
trifle will readily say that we need to keep it, we cannot give up
that easily. There are still very many such people," Vazgen Manukyan
says. He accepts that the Karabakh issue should be settled through
compromise but there is a basic issue that Karabakh cannot be part
of Azerbaijan.

"Everyone understands now that Azerbaijan will not agree to a
compromise. If someone states confidence that Azerbaijan will not
agree to compromise and it is necessary to resolve the issue as soon
as possible, what does it mean?" Vazgen Manukyan asks. He hints at
Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s speech. "It means you must make a compromise,"
Vazgen Manukyan explains. According to him, if Karabakh becomes part of
Azerbaijan, Aliyev will try his best to dissolve Karabakh as an entity.

"Why does Azerbaijan reject compromise? For the simple reason that it
can see what kind of country it is facing. A country which is soaked
in corruption, where a human is violated," says Vazgen Manukyan,
adding that the only way of pushing Azerbaijan to make a compromise
is to make Armenia a modern, competitive, civilized and legitimate
country whose opinion is taken into account.