Stepan Safaryan: Discourse with Levon Ter-Petrosyan may be advantageous to Serzh Sargsyan (video)
Though different circles in Armenia expected new ‘surprise’ by Azerbaijan on May 8, the situation in the Karabakh conflict zone remained the same in the past two days. However, Stepan Safaryan, Head of the Armenian Institute for International and Security Issues, says the risks are not left behind. There are other problems, too. “The April war has not received a clear assessment by Armenia. We were to set up a committee or a fact-finding group to assess the April skirmishes but we did not do it. I think we gave carte blanche to Azerbaijan,” Mr Safaryan said. “After the four-day war we should reconsider our stance and toughen our position in the talks. We can no longer negotiate over the documents put on the negotiating table. Azerbaijan killed the negotiation process long ago. No matter whether the talks continue by the Madrid Principals or other principals offered by Lavrov, Putin or someone else, it is clear that Azerbaijan has blocked the talks over the Karabakh issue,” he added. Asked whether Serzh Sargsyan and Levon Ter-Petrosyan can cooperate over the Artsakh recognition and what he thought of the latest statement of Armenia’s first President, Mr Safaryan said, “I cannot say anything definite but this discourse may be advantageous to Serzh Sargsyan. But the problem is that it leads to public discourse which is dangerous. Let us not forget that Kosovo was recognized because the negotiations were considered exhausted. If problems of this kind are solved by force, then Armenia should follow suit.”
