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NEW FOREIGN MINISTER PUT THE ISSUE
Lragir.am
KarabakhOpen
04-06-2008 13:59:31
The new foreign minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandyan held
his first news conference on June 4 at the press hall of the
foreign ministry. Before answering the questions of reports,
Nalbandyan, like Raffi Hovannisian, first shook hands with about
forty reporters. Considering that the upcoming important foreign
political event for Armenia is the Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting on June
6 at Saint Petersburg, the main topic of the news conference was the
Karabakh conflict.
The reporters asked Edward Nalbandyan to finally confirm if there is
a negotiated document which was presented to the sides at the OSCE
summit in Madrid or is there no such document, since Azerbaijan claims
that if there is no agreement, there is no document either. Edward
Nalbandyan answered that there is a document which is also registered
with the OSCE. The foreign minister of Armenia said Armenia stated
ready to continue the talks on that document, and that document is
the result of lasting efforts of the sides.
"In other words, the matter is not that Azerbaijan should offer
new proposals or Armenia should offer new proposals, or the Minsk
Group co-chairs should offer new proposals. There are proposals now
and these proposals are the basis of the talks, and we are ready to
continue them, the Azerbaijani side should also be ready to continue
the talks on the basis of that document," Edward Nalbandyan says.
As to the upcoming meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents
in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Edward Nalbandyan expects positive
results, saying that it is positive if it becomes clear after
the meeting that the talks continue and the presidents will have
instructions for the foreign ministers for the future talks.
At the same time, however, Edward Nalbandyan thinks it is strange
that the president of Azerbaijan states ready to continue the talks,
whereas other officials, such as the deputy foreign minister or the
minister of defense Abiyev speak about a military settlement. Edward
Nalbandyan does not avoid the expression of war settlement, saying
that it is uttered by Azerbaijan, not Armenia. However, the foreign
minister of Armenia reminds that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair
countries have stated, for instance the Russian foreign minister
Lavrov in Moscow, that there is no alternative to a peace settlement
of the Karabakh issue. And it is the opinion of all the co-chairs,
Edward Nalbandyan reminds.
"Certainly responding to every statement which sounds in the
militaristic spirit of Azerbaijan is something like kindling," says
Edward Nalbandyan, adding that the continuation of the conflict
does not stem from the interests of Armenia and Azerbaijan. "Today
militaristic statements are dangerous. Generally, it is very
important in settlement of a conflict, to suspend propaganda during
elections. It is important to settle a conflict when propaganda,
especially militaristic propaganda, continues," says the foreign
minister of Armenia.
According to him, the mediators should draw conclusions from
militaristic statements, as well as the international organizations
which make statements on the Karabakh conflict from time to time,
sometimes unaware of the details of the conflict. "Because now we are
in a phase of the talks when it is necessary to be highly careful,"
Edward Nalbandyan says.
By the way, after the news conference he left for Nagorno-Karabakh
but before leaving, at the end of the news conference, the reporters
asked him to convey his approach toward the mission of the Armenian
diplomacy. He said the statements that diplomacy should be more
proactive are good but words are not enough. To state that from now
on we are going to be proactive will not change anything, Edward
Nalbandyan says. According to him, it is necessary to judge by the
results, and generally the goal of diplomacy, according to the chief
diplomat of the country, is to increase the number of friends of
Armenia, and thereby favor the solution of our problems.
Lragir.am
KarabakhOpen
04-06-2008 13:59:31
The new foreign minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandyan held
his first news conference on June 4 at the press hall of the
foreign ministry. Before answering the questions of reports,
Nalbandyan, like Raffi Hovannisian, first shook hands with about
forty reporters. Considering that the upcoming important foreign
political event for Armenia is the Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting on June
6 at Saint Petersburg, the main topic of the news conference was the
Karabakh conflict.
The reporters asked Edward Nalbandyan to finally confirm if there is
a negotiated document which was presented to the sides at the OSCE
summit in Madrid or is there no such document, since Azerbaijan claims
that if there is no agreement, there is no document either. Edward
Nalbandyan answered that there is a document which is also registered
with the OSCE. The foreign minister of Armenia said Armenia stated
ready to continue the talks on that document, and that document is
the result of lasting efforts of the sides.
"In other words, the matter is not that Azerbaijan should offer
new proposals or Armenia should offer new proposals, or the Minsk
Group co-chairs should offer new proposals. There are proposals now
and these proposals are the basis of the talks, and we are ready to
continue them, the Azerbaijani side should also be ready to continue
the talks on the basis of that document," Edward Nalbandyan says.
As to the upcoming meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents
in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Edward Nalbandyan expects positive
results, saying that it is positive if it becomes clear after
the meeting that the talks continue and the presidents will have
instructions for the foreign ministers for the future talks.
At the same time, however, Edward Nalbandyan thinks it is strange
that the president of Azerbaijan states ready to continue the talks,
whereas other officials, such as the deputy foreign minister or the
minister of defense Abiyev speak about a military settlement. Edward
Nalbandyan does not avoid the expression of war settlement, saying
that it is uttered by Azerbaijan, not Armenia. However, the foreign
minister of Armenia reminds that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair
countries have stated, for instance the Russian foreign minister
Lavrov in Moscow, that there is no alternative to a peace settlement
of the Karabakh issue. And it is the opinion of all the co-chairs,
Edward Nalbandyan reminds.
"Certainly responding to every statement which sounds in the
militaristic spirit of Azerbaijan is something like kindling," says
Edward Nalbandyan, adding that the continuation of the conflict
does not stem from the interests of Armenia and Azerbaijan. "Today
militaristic statements are dangerous. Generally, it is very
important in settlement of a conflict, to suspend propaganda during
elections. It is important to settle a conflict when propaganda,
especially militaristic propaganda, continues," says the foreign
minister of Armenia.
According to him, the mediators should draw conclusions from
militaristic statements, as well as the international organizations
which make statements on the Karabakh conflict from time to time,
sometimes unaware of the details of the conflict. "Because now we are
in a phase of the talks when it is necessary to be highly careful,"
Edward Nalbandyan says.
By the way, after the news conference he left for Nagorno-Karabakh
but before leaving, at the end of the news conference, the reporters
asked him to convey his approach toward the mission of the Armenian
diplomacy. He said the statements that diplomacy should be more
proactive are good but words are not enough. To state that from now
on we are going to be proactive will not change anything, Edward
Nalbandyan says. According to him, it is necessary to judge by the
results, and generally the goal of diplomacy, according to the chief
diplomat of the country, is to increase the number of friends of
Armenia, and thereby favor the solution of our problems.