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KARABAKH FOREIGN MINISTER'S INTERVIEW ATTRACTS CONFLICTING COMMENTS
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/06/20/davit-babayan-davit-ishkhanyan/
18:13 ~U 20.06.13
The Nagorno-Karabakh Foreign Minister's controversial
remark voiced in an interview with France 24
has given rise to various interpretations and
comments.[http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/06/14/karen-mirzoyan-france-24/]
The official Stepanakert, in the person of President Bako Sahakyan's
spokesperson, David Babayan, finds the statement a result of a sheer
misunderstanding.
"He couldn't have made such a statement. That's impossible. Even a
crazy person cannot do that. There was probably a problem with time,
etc ...," Babayan told Tert.am, adding that Mirzoyan wouldn't be
the foreign minister of Karabakh if his statement reflected what he
really thought.
Mirzoyan, who was on a three-day visit to France, was interviewed
by the France 24 last Wednesday. Asked by the French host whether
he thinks that Karabakh will ever form part of Azerbaijan, he said
"there are certain prospects and hopes".
"Knowing Karen Mirzoyan and being well-aware of his position on the
Artsakh issue, I am confident Karen couldn't have said Artsakh can
be a part of Azerbaijan," the press secretary told our correspondent.
Babayan thinks that the foreign minister wanted very probably to
answer a question on the conflict settlement potentials, not the
possible return of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan.
He reiterated Stepanaket's official position ruling out any possibility
of the country's annexation to Azerbaijan.
Asked whether it is his personal conclusion or he has talked to the
minister, Mirzoyan refrained from any comments. But he apparently
hasn't met with the minister after the interview.
In a statement issued earlier today, the Pre-parliament group said the
statement reflects a treacherous approach that undermines the Armenian
side's positions in the current conflict settlement talks. The group
based its conclusion on the president's remark characterizing the
liberated lands surrounding Karabakh a "security buffer zone".
Asked whether this too, can be considered a mere coincidence, the
presidential spokesperson said that political concept has never been
discussed in either Armenia or Artsakh since Bako Sahakyan's taking
office as president. "Kelbajar [Karvachar, a village in Shahumyan
region] cannot be said to be a buffer zone; neither can the Shahumyan
region. But there are buffer zones in military terms; those are
the territories that have troops deployed vis-a-vis the Azerbaijani
forces. And that territory is actually considered a buffer zone,"
Babayan answered.
Speaking to Tert.am, David Ishkhanyan of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaksutyun's (ARF-D) bureau said they have concerns
over the interview, particularly in relations to the remark on the
"buffer zone".
The party is now considering the statement to understand whether it
was really a misunderstanding or error, or a just distortion.
From: Baghdasarian
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/06/20/davit-babayan-davit-ishkhanyan/
18:13 ~U 20.06.13
The Nagorno-Karabakh Foreign Minister's controversial
remark voiced in an interview with France 24
has given rise to various interpretations and
comments.[http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/06/14/karen-mirzoyan-france-24/]
The official Stepanakert, in the person of President Bako Sahakyan's
spokesperson, David Babayan, finds the statement a result of a sheer
misunderstanding.
"He couldn't have made such a statement. That's impossible. Even a
crazy person cannot do that. There was probably a problem with time,
etc ...," Babayan told Tert.am, adding that Mirzoyan wouldn't be
the foreign minister of Karabakh if his statement reflected what he
really thought.
Mirzoyan, who was on a three-day visit to France, was interviewed
by the France 24 last Wednesday. Asked by the French host whether
he thinks that Karabakh will ever form part of Azerbaijan, he said
"there are certain prospects and hopes".
"Knowing Karen Mirzoyan and being well-aware of his position on the
Artsakh issue, I am confident Karen couldn't have said Artsakh can
be a part of Azerbaijan," the press secretary told our correspondent.
Babayan thinks that the foreign minister wanted very probably to
answer a question on the conflict settlement potentials, not the
possible return of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan.
He reiterated Stepanaket's official position ruling out any possibility
of the country's annexation to Azerbaijan.
Asked whether it is his personal conclusion or he has talked to the
minister, Mirzoyan refrained from any comments. But he apparently
hasn't met with the minister after the interview.
In a statement issued earlier today, the Pre-parliament group said the
statement reflects a treacherous approach that undermines the Armenian
side's positions in the current conflict settlement talks. The group
based its conclusion on the president's remark characterizing the
liberated lands surrounding Karabakh a "security buffer zone".
Asked whether this too, can be considered a mere coincidence, the
presidential spokesperson said that political concept has never been
discussed in either Armenia or Artsakh since Bako Sahakyan's taking
office as president. "Kelbajar [Karvachar, a village in Shahumyan
region] cannot be said to be a buffer zone; neither can the Shahumyan
region. But there are buffer zones in military terms; those are
the territories that have troops deployed vis-a-vis the Azerbaijani
forces. And that territory is actually considered a buffer zone,"
Babayan answered.
Speaking to Tert.am, David Ishkhanyan of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaksutyun's (ARF-D) bureau said they have concerns
over the interview, particularly in relations to the remark on the
"buffer zone".
The party is now considering the statement to understand whether it
was really a misunderstanding or error, or a just distortion.
From: Baghdasarian