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news.am, Armenia
Sept 17 2010
No agreement on Karabakh without Stepanakert's signature, Opposition Leader says
September 17, 2010 | 21:20
New reality has formed in the South Caucasus - the Nagorno-Karabakh
peace process will be within the Russia-Azerbaijan-Turkey format, the
Leader of the Armenian National Congress (ANC), Levon Ter-Petrosyan
stated at the ANC-held rally in Yerevan on September 17.
According to him, the OSCE Minsk Group will be preserved not to
irritate the West. Ter-Petrosyan reminded the participants that it is
Russia that has the key to settlement. In the context of the Russian
military base's longer presence in Armenia and the sale of the Russian
S-300 systems to Azerbaijan, Russia has strengthened its positions and
enhanced its role in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. According to
Ter-Petrosyan, Russia and Azerbaijan are now strategic partners.
Armenia has lost its monopoly - being Russia's principal partner in
the region. According to the first Armenian President, he forecast all
this back in 1988. Under the circumstances, the only thing for the
Armenian authorities to do is to reign themselves to the fate and seek
fortune in Moscow or Ankara or, to be precise, at the
Russian-Turkish-Azerbaijani supreme bodies. Although the U.S
Administration was the only one to challenge Serzh Sargsyan's
legitimacy in the 2008 elections, the U.S. has been supporting Serzh
Sargsyan for two years and a half.
`What is the aim? No comments. It should be stressed that illegitimacy
and corruption are the leverage the West has used to get the promises
and concessions on the Armenian-Turkish relations and Nagorno-Karabakh
peace process. But if the promises fail to be kept, the leverage will
be used in a different direction. And this time seems to be coming,'
Ter-Petrosyan said. The incumbent authorities must do the following:
ensure domestic political liberalization, establish democracy, release
political prisoners, ensure respect for human rights in Armenia and
Stepanakert's return to the negotiating table. `Serzh Sargsyan does
not do any of these things,' Ter-Petrosyan said. Although the ANC is
for the speediest settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it
state that `any decision made without the NKR's participation or one
that will not be signed by official Stepanakert will not be accepted
by the Opposition.' Moreover, the agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh must
be submitted to a referendum both in Armenia and in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Opposition is also against ratification of Armenian-Turkish
protocols unless the point on an Armenian-Turkish committee of
historians is removed from them.
In this context, Ter-Petrosyan noted that Serzh Sargsyan has no public
mandate to make any concessions. First, in his election program he did
not promise to form a committee of historians nor did he promise that
Nagorno-Karabakh will remain outside the negotiation process. He did
not promise the opening of foreign-language schools in Armenia. `He is
not elected President. The agreement and laws signed by him have no
legal force' Ter-Petrosyan said. On the other hand, the Opposition
believes there are still opportunities for a dialogue with the
authorities. `However, the main condition for this dialogue is,
besides the release of political prisoners, is a proper investigation
of the March 1 2008 murders and punishment of those guilty,'
Ter-Petrosyan said. The only subject of the dialogue is a peaceful
handover of power to the people. `This is the only possible by means
of early elections - first presidential and them parliamentary,' the
Opposition Leader said. Change of power is a matter of principle,
rather than an end in itself, for the Opposition, he concluded.
From: A. Papazian
Sept 17 2010
No agreement on Karabakh without Stepanakert's signature, Opposition Leader says
September 17, 2010 | 21:20
New reality has formed in the South Caucasus - the Nagorno-Karabakh
peace process will be within the Russia-Azerbaijan-Turkey format, the
Leader of the Armenian National Congress (ANC), Levon Ter-Petrosyan
stated at the ANC-held rally in Yerevan on September 17.
According to him, the OSCE Minsk Group will be preserved not to
irritate the West. Ter-Petrosyan reminded the participants that it is
Russia that has the key to settlement. In the context of the Russian
military base's longer presence in Armenia and the sale of the Russian
S-300 systems to Azerbaijan, Russia has strengthened its positions and
enhanced its role in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. According to
Ter-Petrosyan, Russia and Azerbaijan are now strategic partners.
Armenia has lost its monopoly - being Russia's principal partner in
the region. According to the first Armenian President, he forecast all
this back in 1988. Under the circumstances, the only thing for the
Armenian authorities to do is to reign themselves to the fate and seek
fortune in Moscow or Ankara or, to be precise, at the
Russian-Turkish-Azerbaijani supreme bodies. Although the U.S
Administration was the only one to challenge Serzh Sargsyan's
legitimacy in the 2008 elections, the U.S. has been supporting Serzh
Sargsyan for two years and a half.
`What is the aim? No comments. It should be stressed that illegitimacy
and corruption are the leverage the West has used to get the promises
and concessions on the Armenian-Turkish relations and Nagorno-Karabakh
peace process. But if the promises fail to be kept, the leverage will
be used in a different direction. And this time seems to be coming,'
Ter-Petrosyan said. The incumbent authorities must do the following:
ensure domestic political liberalization, establish democracy, release
political prisoners, ensure respect for human rights in Armenia and
Stepanakert's return to the negotiating table. `Serzh Sargsyan does
not do any of these things,' Ter-Petrosyan said. Although the ANC is
for the speediest settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it
state that `any decision made without the NKR's participation or one
that will not be signed by official Stepanakert will not be accepted
by the Opposition.' Moreover, the agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh must
be submitted to a referendum both in Armenia and in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Opposition is also against ratification of Armenian-Turkish
protocols unless the point on an Armenian-Turkish committee of
historians is removed from them.
In this context, Ter-Petrosyan noted that Serzh Sargsyan has no public
mandate to make any concessions. First, in his election program he did
not promise to form a committee of historians nor did he promise that
Nagorno-Karabakh will remain outside the negotiation process. He did
not promise the opening of foreign-language schools in Armenia. `He is
not elected President. The agreement and laws signed by him have no
legal force' Ter-Petrosyan said. On the other hand, the Opposition
believes there are still opportunities for a dialogue with the
authorities. `However, the main condition for this dialogue is,
besides the release of political prisoners, is a proper investigation
of the March 1 2008 murders and punishment of those guilty,'
Ter-Petrosyan said. The only subject of the dialogue is a peaceful
handover of power to the people. `This is the only possible by means
of early elections - first presidential and them parliamentary,' the
Opposition Leader said. Change of power is a matter of principle,
rather than an end in itself, for the Opposition, he concluded.
From: A. Papazian