Ruben Safrastyan: NATO Aspires To Get Deeper Involved In Processes T

RUBEN SAFRASTYAN: NATO ASPIRES TO GET DEEPER INVOLVED IN PROCESSES TAKING PLACE IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS
Anna Nazaryan

“Radiolur”
25.05.2012 18:17

The NATO summit in Chicago demonstarted the aspiration of the Alliance
to get deeper involved in processes taking place in the South Caucasus,
Director of the Oriental Studies Institute of the Armenian National
Academy of Sciences Ruben Safrastyan told a press conference today.

According to Safrastyan, there are two factors that come to prove
this. First, Georgia was granted a real chance to join NATO. The
second important factor was the inclusion of the provision on the
peaceful settlement of conflicts in the South Caucasus and Moldova
in the final declaration of the summit, which gives preference to
the principle of territorial integrity.

This contradicts the approach of the Minsk Group Co-chairs of solving
the Karabakh issue on the basis of three principles of international
law – the right of peoples to self-determination, territorial integrity
and non-use of force. Taking into consideration the existence of this
unacceptable and biased wording, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
was right to turn down the invitation to participate in the summit,
Safrastyan said.

“Although the NATO documents are not legally binding, Azerbaijan may
use them to justify its policy during the negotiations within the
framework of the Minsk Group,” the expert said, adding that Baku might
increase the pressure on Armenia and Karabakh through organization
of provocations at the line of contact.

From: Baghdasarian