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KARABAKH IS 'ARMENIAN LAND' - SERZH SARGSYAN
news.az
Aug 22, 2011
Azerbaijan
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has said that Nagorno-Karabakh will
never return to Azerbaijani rule.
"The sooner Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized, the better for all,
including Azerbaijan," the president told a Miasin (Together) Movement
youth camp near Lake Sevan on 20 August, according to News.am.
Serzh Sargsyan insisted that Armenia was committed to a peaceful
settlement of the conflict, but not to one that recognizes that
Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan.
"Finding a peaceful way to resolve the Karabakh conflict is our
main aim, regardless of any difficulties we face. If it was easy,
we would have achieved our objective long ago. The problem is very
sensitive for both Armenians and Azerbaijanis. For decades it has
been instilled in the Azerbaijani people that Karabakh is Azerbaijani
land. The country's leadership has never tried and still is not trying
to start an honest dialogue with their people and will not admit that
Karabakh is Armenian land," Sargsyan said.
The president's remarks highlight Armenia's dual position on the
territory: that it is actually Armenian but should be recognized
as independent.
Azerbaijani commentators believe that Armenia advocates independence
for Karabakh, only in order to claim the right of its people to
self-determination.
"Resolution of the conflict is also a challenge because of the
emerging social atmosphere. How can we talk about a peaceful
settlement, if every day we hear anti-Armenian statements from the
Azerbaijani leadership, if hatred is preached in their country? We
have got rather used to this, because this phenomenon has continued
for many years. Your parents might remember when in the early 1990s
[Azerbaijani] Presidents Mutallibov and Elchibey used practically the
same rhetoric - how financially powerful Azerbaijan is and how weak
Armenia is; how many Azerbaijanis there are and how few Armenians
there are. Well, in 20 years we learned the cost of those 'strong'
statements," Sargsyan continued.
"People occupying senior government positions must be the first to
stand before their people and talk about how to settle the problem.
And I look you in the eye and tell you: our goal is peaceful resolution
of the conflict. Our goal is never to let Nagorno-Karabakh be under
Azerbaijan's rule. And we have achieved that goal. Anyone who visits
Nagorno-Karabakh can see that the people of Karabakh govern their
state and their future by themselves. Of course, we must take into
account the reality: sovereignty is gained not only by force but also
by international recognition. Nobody doubts that Nagorno-Karabakh will
eventually be recognized. The sooner it happens, the better for all,
including Azerbaijan."
The president's comments go to the heart of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict over Karabakh.Armenia insists that the territory cannot
be part of Azerbaijan, while Azerbaijan insists on respect for
international law under which the territory is part of Azerbaijan.
The two countries fought a bitter war over the territory which ended
in a cease-fire in 1994. Armenian forces occupy Karabakh and the seven
surrounding Azerbaijani districts. The OSCE Minsk Group has since been
seeking to mediate a settlement of the conflict, but the two sides'
positions remain far apart.
news.az
Aug 22, 2011
Azerbaijan
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has said that Nagorno-Karabakh will
never return to Azerbaijani rule.
"The sooner Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized, the better for all,
including Azerbaijan," the president told a Miasin (Together) Movement
youth camp near Lake Sevan on 20 August, according to News.am.
Serzh Sargsyan insisted that Armenia was committed to a peaceful
settlement of the conflict, but not to one that recognizes that
Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan.
"Finding a peaceful way to resolve the Karabakh conflict is our
main aim, regardless of any difficulties we face. If it was easy,
we would have achieved our objective long ago. The problem is very
sensitive for both Armenians and Azerbaijanis. For decades it has
been instilled in the Azerbaijani people that Karabakh is Azerbaijani
land. The country's leadership has never tried and still is not trying
to start an honest dialogue with their people and will not admit that
Karabakh is Armenian land," Sargsyan said.
The president's remarks highlight Armenia's dual position on the
territory: that it is actually Armenian but should be recognized
as independent.
Azerbaijani commentators believe that Armenia advocates independence
for Karabakh, only in order to claim the right of its people to
self-determination.
"Resolution of the conflict is also a challenge because of the
emerging social atmosphere. How can we talk about a peaceful
settlement, if every day we hear anti-Armenian statements from the
Azerbaijani leadership, if hatred is preached in their country? We
have got rather used to this, because this phenomenon has continued
for many years. Your parents might remember when in the early 1990s
[Azerbaijani] Presidents Mutallibov and Elchibey used practically the
same rhetoric - how financially powerful Azerbaijan is and how weak
Armenia is; how many Azerbaijanis there are and how few Armenians
there are. Well, in 20 years we learned the cost of those 'strong'
statements," Sargsyan continued.
"People occupying senior government positions must be the first to
stand before their people and talk about how to settle the problem.
And I look you in the eye and tell you: our goal is peaceful resolution
of the conflict. Our goal is never to let Nagorno-Karabakh be under
Azerbaijan's rule. And we have achieved that goal. Anyone who visits
Nagorno-Karabakh can see that the people of Karabakh govern their
state and their future by themselves. Of course, we must take into
account the reality: sovereignty is gained not only by force but also
by international recognition. Nobody doubts that Nagorno-Karabakh will
eventually be recognized. The sooner it happens, the better for all,
including Azerbaijan."
The president's comments go to the heart of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict over Karabakh.Armenia insists that the territory cannot
be part of Azerbaijan, while Azerbaijan insists on respect for
international law under which the territory is part of Azerbaijan.
The two countries fought a bitter war over the territory which ended
in a cease-fire in 1994. Armenian forces occupy Karabakh and the seven
surrounding Azerbaijani districts. The OSCE Minsk Group has since been
seeking to mediate a settlement of the conflict, but the two sides'
positions remain far apart.