Tweet
"ALL TALKS WILL BE WASTE OF TIME WITHOUT KARABAKH'S DIRECT PARTICIPATION"
by Victor Yadukha
What the Papers Say
June 5, 2008 Thursday
Russia
AN INTERVIEW WITH NAGORNO-KARABAKH PRESIDENT BAKO SAAKJAN; An interview
with Bako Saakjan, president of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will discuss Nagorno-Karabakh
at the informal CIS summit in St.Petersburg on June 6. The best
stable of all self-proclaimed sovereign states in the Commonwealth,
the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic views itself as a warring side and
insists on direct talks with Azerbaijan.
Here is an interview with President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
Bako Saakjan.
Question: Are Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh prepared to discuss status
of some liberated territories located beyond the administrative
borders of the erstwhile Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Republic?
Bako Saakjan: Armenia is a sovereign state. It is involved in the
talks with Azerbaijan because its national interests dictate this
necessity. On the other hand, there is sovereign Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic which is the principal side in this particular conflict. Its
priorities do not differ from the priorities of Azerbaijan, Armenia,
or any other country. Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia enjoy an impressive
degree of integration. We have a common economic space and a common
monetary system. It does not interfere with our sovereignty in
the least. We respect opinion of the people that proclaimed its
sovereignty and adopted the Constitution. Before advancing an opinion
on anything, we want to be sure that we are recognized as a fully
fledged participant in the talks. How can we discuss so serious a
matter as status of Nagorno-Karabakh is when we are not a participant
in the talks?
Question: Does Stepanakert insist on negotiations between three
countries or on separate talks between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan
and between Armenia and Azerbaijan?
Bako Saakjan: It does not matter. It's just that all talks will be
a waste of time unless they are talks with Nagorno-Karabakh directly.
Question: What is your opinion of the war preparations in Azerbaijan
and of how its officials keep calling another war inevitable?
Bako Saakjan: If Baku thought to put us under psychological pressure,
it had better think again. Deployment of armies will result in
countless casualties on both sides but it will never solve the
problem. Firstly, there is a parity at the regional level. Secondly,
our own army is more than a match for the Azerbaijanis. Actually, it is
capable of doing better than just stopping the offensive cold. If need
be, the hostilities will be brought into Azerbaijani itself. And that's
what we will surely do if attacked. Expansion of the security zone will
be the only way to ensure peaceful existence of Nagorno-Karabakh then.
Question: Yerevan hopes for some sort of bargain or compromise in
the talks over Nagorno-Karabakh...
Bako Saakjan: Baku's behavior makes a compromise impossible. What
we are stone-cold confident of is that the conflict does not have
any unilateral solution. Everything comes down to whether or not
Azerbaijan respects our right to self-determination. So far, it has
only been threatening to eradicate our state and our people. Not
exactly good for compromises, is it?
Question: Azerbaijan suggests joint use of the Lachin corridor that
connects Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia provided the corridor itself is
recognized as belonging to Azerbaijan. What do you think of the idea?
Bako Saakjan: The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has never been approached
with any such offers or requests.
Question: Do you allow for the return of Azerbaijani refugees to
Nagorno-Karabakh?
Bako Saakjan: We do not rule out this possibility. Still, the firm
conviction in Stepanakert is that it should wait until after political
settlement of the conflict. After all, any haste in so sensitive a
matter may only subject refugees to new sufferings and result in new
tragedies. Azerbaijani refugees' return should be synchronized with
the return of Armenian refugees. Unfortunately, nobody seems to care
about this latter aspect of the problem.
Question: The Azerbaijani authorities claim that Nagorno-Karabakh
leadership moved 25,000 people to Lachin and Kelbajar and that 30%
of them have already fled the districts again. What is happening
there? Would you mind saying a few words on Stepanakert's demographic
policy?
Bako Saakjan: Population of these regions mostly consists of refugees
from the Shamumjan district, North Artsakh, and various settlements
of the erstwhile Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic.
Question: Do you view the Kosovo scenario of gaining recognition as
acceptable for Nagorno-Karabakh?
Bako Saakjan: Recognition of Kosovo by the international community
did set a precedent, you know. We abstain from drawing parallels
of course, but if recognition of Kosovo facilitates recognition of
Nagorno-Karabakh, it will certainly make us happy.
Question: Is there anything the Nagorno-Karabakh republic expects
from Russia? What does Stepanakert think of the part Moscow has been
playing in the OSCE Minsk Group?
Bako Saakjan: We owe peace in the region, fragile as it is, to
Russia. Sure, we would like to see Russia taking a more energetic
part in conflict settlement over Nagorno-Karabakh and in other regions
because Russia is responsible for what is happening in the region. On
the other hand, that's surely a global problem and therefore global
responsibility. What I mean is that countries like the United States,
France, and Great Britain are responsible what is happening here
too. We understand that all of them promote their own interests,
but that is only to be expected.
by Victor Yadukha
What the Papers Say
June 5, 2008 Thursday
Russia
AN INTERVIEW WITH NAGORNO-KARABAKH PRESIDENT BAKO SAAKJAN; An interview
with Bako Saakjan, president of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will discuss Nagorno-Karabakh
at the informal CIS summit in St.Petersburg on June 6. The best
stable of all self-proclaimed sovereign states in the Commonwealth,
the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic views itself as a warring side and
insists on direct talks with Azerbaijan.
Here is an interview with President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
Bako Saakjan.
Question: Are Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh prepared to discuss status
of some liberated territories located beyond the administrative
borders of the erstwhile Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Republic?
Bako Saakjan: Armenia is a sovereign state. It is involved in the
talks with Azerbaijan because its national interests dictate this
necessity. On the other hand, there is sovereign Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic which is the principal side in this particular conflict. Its
priorities do not differ from the priorities of Azerbaijan, Armenia,
or any other country. Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia enjoy an impressive
degree of integration. We have a common economic space and a common
monetary system. It does not interfere with our sovereignty in
the least. We respect opinion of the people that proclaimed its
sovereignty and adopted the Constitution. Before advancing an opinion
on anything, we want to be sure that we are recognized as a fully
fledged participant in the talks. How can we discuss so serious a
matter as status of Nagorno-Karabakh is when we are not a participant
in the talks?
Question: Does Stepanakert insist on negotiations between three
countries or on separate talks between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan
and between Armenia and Azerbaijan?
Bako Saakjan: It does not matter. It's just that all talks will be
a waste of time unless they are talks with Nagorno-Karabakh directly.
Question: What is your opinion of the war preparations in Azerbaijan
and of how its officials keep calling another war inevitable?
Bako Saakjan: If Baku thought to put us under psychological pressure,
it had better think again. Deployment of armies will result in
countless casualties on both sides but it will never solve the
problem. Firstly, there is a parity at the regional level. Secondly,
our own army is more than a match for the Azerbaijanis. Actually, it is
capable of doing better than just stopping the offensive cold. If need
be, the hostilities will be brought into Azerbaijani itself. And that's
what we will surely do if attacked. Expansion of the security zone will
be the only way to ensure peaceful existence of Nagorno-Karabakh then.
Question: Yerevan hopes for some sort of bargain or compromise in
the talks over Nagorno-Karabakh...
Bako Saakjan: Baku's behavior makes a compromise impossible. What
we are stone-cold confident of is that the conflict does not have
any unilateral solution. Everything comes down to whether or not
Azerbaijan respects our right to self-determination. So far, it has
only been threatening to eradicate our state and our people. Not
exactly good for compromises, is it?
Question: Azerbaijan suggests joint use of the Lachin corridor that
connects Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia provided the corridor itself is
recognized as belonging to Azerbaijan. What do you think of the idea?
Bako Saakjan: The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has never been approached
with any such offers or requests.
Question: Do you allow for the return of Azerbaijani refugees to
Nagorno-Karabakh?
Bako Saakjan: We do not rule out this possibility. Still, the firm
conviction in Stepanakert is that it should wait until after political
settlement of the conflict. After all, any haste in so sensitive a
matter may only subject refugees to new sufferings and result in new
tragedies. Azerbaijani refugees' return should be synchronized with
the return of Armenian refugees. Unfortunately, nobody seems to care
about this latter aspect of the problem.
Question: The Azerbaijani authorities claim that Nagorno-Karabakh
leadership moved 25,000 people to Lachin and Kelbajar and that 30%
of them have already fled the districts again. What is happening
there? Would you mind saying a few words on Stepanakert's demographic
policy?
Bako Saakjan: Population of these regions mostly consists of refugees
from the Shamumjan district, North Artsakh, and various settlements
of the erstwhile Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic.
Question: Do you view the Kosovo scenario of gaining recognition as
acceptable for Nagorno-Karabakh?
Bako Saakjan: Recognition of Kosovo by the international community
did set a precedent, you know. We abstain from drawing parallels
of course, but if recognition of Kosovo facilitates recognition of
Nagorno-Karabakh, it will certainly make us happy.
Question: Is there anything the Nagorno-Karabakh republic expects
from Russia? What does Stepanakert think of the part Moscow has been
playing in the OSCE Minsk Group?
Bako Saakjan: We owe peace in the region, fragile as it is, to
Russia. Sure, we would like to see Russia taking a more energetic
part in conflict settlement over Nagorno-Karabakh and in other regions
because Russia is responsible for what is happening in the region. On
the other hand, that's surely a global problem and therefore global
responsibility. What I mean is that countries like the United States,
France, and Great Britain are responsible what is happening here
too. We understand that all of them promote their own interests,
but that is only to be expected.