ARMENIA WILL NOT ALLOW ANY VIOLATION AGAINST NKR
Mikhail Balayan
PanARMENIAN.Net
28.11.2009 GMT+04:00
Throughout the past week the focus of the Armenian community was
on the issues of the Karabakh conflict settlement, and the Munich
meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. A little less as
compared with the previous week, was touched upon the ratification
of Armenian-Turkish Protocols. A significant event of the week was
also the 12th congress of the Republican Party of Armenia.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ By itself, the Munich meeting of the Presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan, in the absence of full information on the
negotiation processes, was discussed in the society at the level of
suppositions. Certain conclusions were made on the basis of indirect
statements and comments of representatives of the presidential
administration or of the OSCE Minsk Group taciturn co-chairs, who
spoke of the regular progress in the negotiations. The Munich meeting
was welcomed also by the Foreign Minister of Armenia. "I cannot say
that talks between the Presidents were smooth, but there was certain
progress and the parties were able to preserve the positive trends
instituted during the past eight meetings between the Presidents,"
Minister Edward Nalbandyan told journalists while in Rome.
Her disagreement with the statements on certain progress voiced
Secretary of the Heritage parliamentary faction Larisa Alaverdyan. "I
do not understand what progress can we speak of, if after a 4-hour
meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents in Munich,
the parties contented themselves only with a statement that really
says nothing," Alaverdyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. "Real
negotiations over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement will
start when Artsakh itself engages in the negotiation process," the
Secretary believes.
In the Armenian political establishment and in the public, great
resonance was caused by the statement of President Ilham Aliyev on
the military settlement of Karabakh conflict, in case the Munich
meeting proved to be a failure. As early as Monday, November 23,
President’s Spokesman Samvel Farmanyan struck the first counter blow
on Aliyev’s statements, saying such a statement once again proved
the destructive position of Azerbaijan, and Armenia couldn’t be
indifferent to the fate of the Nagorno-Karabakh people. Farmanyan
stressed "Armenia has not yet recognized the NKR independence only
as not to impede the peaceful talks. However, if hostilities should
resume, nothing will keep Yerevan from recognizing the independence
of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic". He also noted that Armenia could
sign a mutual aid pact with Nagorno Karabakh, with all the subsequent
consequences of the agreement.
RA President’s Spokesman also had to deny Baku’s statements, according
to which Armenian and Azeri Presidents’ discussion in Munich had
allegedly focused on Armenian forces’ withdrawal from Kelbajar,
a factor that might enable Turkey to ratify the Protocols on the
normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations. Farmanyan called
them regular misinformation spread by Baku.
In an interview to PanARMENIAN.Net, her assumption about the meeting
in Munich expressed Naira Zohrabyan, Deputy of the coalition government
parliamentary faction of the party "Prosperous Armenia".
She stated that "Presently the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan
are discussing only the issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh status" and
denied the information that, allegedly, the parties have reached an
agreement on the return of some regions around Nagorno-Karabakh.
Quite skeptical about the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ statements was
Leader of ARF Dashnaktsutyun parliamentary faction Vahan Hovhannisyan.
"The Co-Chairs’ statements on the progress registered during the
negotiations are untrustworthy because they are mutually exclusive,"
the MP stressed. "It is impossible to discuss only the problem of
the status of Artsakh for four hours. I am convinced that during
the talks Azerbaijan also raised the issue of adjacent territories
around Nagorno-Karabakh," emphasized Hovhannisyan. "Aliyev’s
ultimatum prevents any possibility of peace talks on Karabakh
conflict settlement. His bellicose statement put paid to the Meindorf
Declaration, since the President openly declared about Azerbaijan’s
readiness to use force, while the declaration stipulated exclusively
peaceful settlement of the conflict.
CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha, who was on an official visit
in Yerevan, reiterated his negative attitude towards any statement on
military resolution of conflicts. "I negatively treat any statements
on the possibility of war," said the CSTO Secretary General at a
press conference in Yerevan, commenting on the bellicose statements
of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
"It’s time Armenian diplomacy not only made adequate responses to
Azeri President’s military statements but also took measures in that
direction," Chairman of "European Integration" NGO Karen Bekaryan
told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. According to him, international
community should set deadlines to Azerbaijan’s bellicose statements.
According to Director of the Caucasus Institute Alexander Iskandaryan,
the meeting in Munich did not affect the negotiating process at all.
"Resolution of the Karabakh conflict is not in sight in the coming
months and even years," the political scientist believes.
In mid-week the Constitutional Court of Armenia finally appointed
the judge to deal with the Armenian-Turkish Protocols. Study of the
Protocols is entrusted to Judge Vladimir Hovhannisyan, who within 15
days is to submit his conclusion to the Chairman of the Constitutional
Court on whether the document complies with the RA Constitution or not.
As Chairman of the Democratic Party of Armenia Aram Sargsyan declared
at a press conference in Yerevan, "Representatives of ARFD, "Heritage"
and "New Times" parties will be participating in the meeting, where
a joint statement on the Protocol of the Armenian-Turkish relations
is to be issued." "We oppose ratification of these protocols and are
going to take action to prevent it," declared Sargsyan.
On November 26 the Armenian government approved the proposal to sing
an Armenian-French agreement on defense cooperation. In the words of
Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan, "This document makes provision for
cooperation in different fields, particularly management of armed
forces and military personnel, as well as information protection
mechanisms."
At the end of the week, on November 27, a military delegation led by
Polish Defense Minister Bogdan Klich arrived in Armenia. Prior to that,
the Polish Minister had paid visits to Baku and Tbilisi.
Last week the political life was completed by the 12th congress of the
ruling Republican Party of Armenia. As Spokesman for the Republican
Party Eduard Sharmazanov informed the reporters, the party’s charter
was to undergo certain changes. Such as, no longer the RPA political
council members are to be elected during the party’s congresses.
"Instead, party members being high up in the civil service will
henceforth form the RPA political council," declared Sharmazanov,
adding that PM Tigran Sargsyan and Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglaryan will
undoubtedly be elected to the council.
At the congress acting president of Armenia, Leader of the Republican
Party Serzh Sargsyan made a statement, thoroughly discussing the
issues of Armenian-Turkish rapprochement and settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Serzh Sargsyan noted that if the Turkish
side delayed the process of ratification, Armenia, in accordance with
international standards, would take adequate measures. President of
Armenia reiterated that normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations
does not imply denial of the Armenian Genocide. According to Serzh
Sargsyan, just on the contrary, it would help to achieve recognition
of the Armenian Genocide in Turkey itself.
Touching upon the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Armenian President
said Armenia would not allow any violation against NKR and would
confront it by severest methods.
Discussing the inner political life of the country, President Sargsyan
noted that it was time to develop political culture in the country.
"In order to have a stable system in the country, first and foremost,
you need to have a stable inner-party system. The ruling party must
serve as an example for others in this regard," said the President.
According to him, under political stability the freedom of thought
is meant.