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ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: THE PARTIES ARE CURRENTLY FOCUSING ON DISCUSSION OF KEY ISSUE - NAGORNY KARABAKH'S STATUS
ArmInfo
2009-10-12 12:08:00
ArmInfo.Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan are currently studying
the principles of the Madrid document. More precisely, they are
focused on the two principles. In meditation of the Minsk Group, the
parties are trying to bring their stands closer, Edward Nalbandian,
Foreign Minister of Armenia, says in an interview with the Russian
Daily Kommersant.
The minister refused to dwell into the negotiation process and said:
"I can only say that the parties are currently focused on discussion
of the key issue - Nagorny Karabakh's status." Asked if it means
that there are no differences on other principles or it is just
the beginning of discussion of the principles, the minister said:
"There was an arrangement that the presidents would speak of specific
principles and when agreements are achieved they will start discussing
the next issues. It is a reasonable approach and all the participants
in the negotiation process understand this. If the parties agree on
the principles, we will start preparing the peace treaty. We believe
that Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan must prepare that document." At
the same time, the minister said he would not like to make any hasty
statements that there will be a breakthrough already tomorrow, or in
a month or two. "Over the last few months, the negotiations on the
basis of the Madrid principles have got off the ground. The start of
the process is in question. The process has positive dynamics," the
minister says. As regards the Minsk Group and Russia's involvement
in the process i.e. if it is a single or two parallel processes,
the minister said these are complementary processes. "If one of the
Minsk Group co-chair-states can help, so why shouldn't it do that? It
must be welcomed. In 2001 France, the French president, had an active
part in the process. The Paris principles were agreed then and the
parties tried to express them in the document known as the Key West
document. Now Russia and the Russian president are playing an active
role in the settlement process," Nalbandian says.
Asked about the "closed" negotiations on Nagorny Karabakh, the
minister said: "I don't think that these negotiations as more secret
than any other ones. Many serious negotiations are conducted without
press conferences and interviews to the press. Negotiations are
negotiations. One beautiful day their content will be made public
like it was with the Armenian-Turkish negotiations. At one point we
decided to make them open on mutual consent of the parties. It was
before the singing, which is generally not practiced.
Agreements are often made public after they are already signed. We
do not welcome secrecy but negotiations are held between two and even
more parties.
In the case of the Karabakh there are three parties," the minister
says.
ArmInfo
2009-10-12 12:08:00
ArmInfo.Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan are currently studying
the principles of the Madrid document. More precisely, they are
focused on the two principles. In meditation of the Minsk Group, the
parties are trying to bring their stands closer, Edward Nalbandian,
Foreign Minister of Armenia, says in an interview with the Russian
Daily Kommersant.
The minister refused to dwell into the negotiation process and said:
"I can only say that the parties are currently focused on discussion
of the key issue - Nagorny Karabakh's status." Asked if it means
that there are no differences on other principles or it is just
the beginning of discussion of the principles, the minister said:
"There was an arrangement that the presidents would speak of specific
principles and when agreements are achieved they will start discussing
the next issues. It is a reasonable approach and all the participants
in the negotiation process understand this. If the parties agree on
the principles, we will start preparing the peace treaty. We believe
that Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan must prepare that document." At
the same time, the minister said he would not like to make any hasty
statements that there will be a breakthrough already tomorrow, or in
a month or two. "Over the last few months, the negotiations on the
basis of the Madrid principles have got off the ground. The start of
the process is in question. The process has positive dynamics," the
minister says. As regards the Minsk Group and Russia's involvement
in the process i.e. if it is a single or two parallel processes,
the minister said these are complementary processes. "If one of the
Minsk Group co-chair-states can help, so why shouldn't it do that? It
must be welcomed. In 2001 France, the French president, had an active
part in the process. The Paris principles were agreed then and the
parties tried to express them in the document known as the Key West
document. Now Russia and the Russian president are playing an active
role in the settlement process," Nalbandian says.
Asked about the "closed" negotiations on Nagorny Karabakh, the
minister said: "I don't think that these negotiations as more secret
than any other ones. Many serious negotiations are conducted without
press conferences and interviews to the press. Negotiations are
negotiations. One beautiful day their content will be made public
like it was with the Armenian-Turkish negotiations. At one point we
decided to make them open on mutual consent of the parties. It was
before the singing, which is generally not practiced.
Agreements are often made public after they are already signed. We
do not welcome secrecy but negotiations are held between two and even
more parties.
In the case of the Karabakh there are three parties," the minister
says.