"ARMENIA SHOULD NOT CARRY NEGOTIATIONS WITHOUT NKR"

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Nagorno-Karabakh is ahead of Kosovo with regard to the grounds for self-determination, “Heritage” Party member Stepan Safarian and the leader of the National Democratic Party (AZhK) Shavarsh Kocharian shared the opinion during a press conference on January 14. The AZhK leader reminded that NKR had shown a will to become independent by a referendum which met the USSR legislation and constitution.

And although the legal warrants for the recognition of Karabakh's independence are well-grounded, the West tends to recognise Kosovo's independence. Stepan Safarian says the reason for this stance is Kosovo's geographical location: the country lies in the heart of Europe.

Shavarsh Kocharian pointed out another important factor as well. Karabakh established a cease-fire and straightened out its matters on its own while the West supported Kosovo in everything.

“Besides, NKR is more democratic than Azerbaijan. But things differ in view of Kosovo, Serbia is more democratic than Kosovo.”

And yet, despite the existing legal grounds, the Karabakh conflict is still viewed as a regional dispute while that of Kosovo as a struggle for self-determination.

“The reasons are far deeper,” the AZhK leader says.

“Armenia's next president should not negotiate with Azerbaijan unless Nagorno-Karabakh is involved in the negotiations,” Shavarsh Kocharian announced today.

According to Stepan Safarian, the Prague process on the Karabakh conflict which started in 2004 is coming to an end because Robert Kocharian, one of the participants of the talks, is leaving office soon, and the Co-Chairs cannot see a guarantee for the effectiveness of the process. Stepan Safarian says currently a modified option of the phase solution of 1998 is negotiated.

According to Shavarsh Kocharian Karabakh's participation in the talks as a full-right party is the first guarantee for effectiveness of the talks. The notions of stage-by-stage and package solutions are conventional and often mislead the public, whereas it is necessary to clarify the basic issues. Shavarsh Kocharian thinks Armenia must act as a guarantor for the security of Karabakh but the country has no right to discuss Karabakh’s status or territories instead of NKR.

Armenia's government should not discuss whose option is more favorable or who will surrender more or less territories but should employ the basic approach that Karabakh is a conflicting side. Albania never negotiated instead of Kosovo.

Stepan Safarian shares this stance and thinks that Armenia’s role in the talks should be limited, and Karabakh must be a full-fledged party of the talks.

Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian needn’t refrain from deciphering the proposed variant. The Co-chairs have urged the sides to decipher the variant and to prepare the peoples for the conflict settlement since 2006.