Interfax News Agency, Russia
March 13 2008
ARMENIA WILL NOT RECOGNIZE KARABAKH IN FORESEEABLE FUTURE – …
Armenian Prime Minister and president-elect Serzh Sargsyan has not
ruled out that Yerevan might recognize the independence of Kosovo,
adding that this situation cannot be a precedent in resolving the
Karabakh problem.
"From the legal point of view, Nagorno-Karabakh is different from all
other conflicts, and Armenia has no right to equalize or mix it [the
Karabakh conflict] with any other conflict," Sargsyan said at a
meeting with students from the Armenian State Economic University.
"Kosovo cannot be a precedent in a sense that in the foreseeable
future Armenia is not going to recognize the independence of Nagorno
Karabakh. But since we have always supported nations’ rights to self-
determination, from this point of view we do welcome the independence
of Kosovo," he added.
At the same time, Sargsyan has denied that by recognizing Kosovo’s
independence Armenia will spoil its relations with Russia.
"Our countries will always have friendly relations, however this does
not mean that Armenia should ignore its interests for the sake of
Russia’s," the Armenian president-elect said.
"If we are friends, their interests must be dear to us, and if we
ever recognize Kosovo’s independence, I do not think this could spoil
Armenian-Russian relations," Sargsyan said.