The independence of the NKR is not a topic of discussion
Deputy Foreign Minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Vardan Barseghyan considers any discussion on territories as nonsensical.
"We must first discuss the cause and then the effects. The first thing we must do is to solve the issue related to the status of the NKR. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic's position remains unchanged and that is that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can't be settled without the participation of the NKR. If Azerbaijan truly wants to settle the conflict, it must be ready to sit down and negotiate with the NKR. No decision will be acceptable for the NKR without our participation," said Mr. Barseghyan to "A1+".
He mentioned that the territories on which different interpretations are made make up the territory of the NKR, which is established by the NKR Constitution. The Deputy Foreign Minister of the NKR expresses gratitude to the RA authorities for representing the interests of the NKR during the talks, but he also stated that that is not enough for the conflict settlement.
"Of course, it is better to negotiate than to wage a war, but any resolution of the conflict is excluded without the participation of the NKR.
Vardan Barseghyan finds that the NKR must express its viewpoints and Azerbaijan is the one that must be the first to hear those viewpoints. "The current format of negotiations goes to show that Azerbaijan is not ready for the conflict resolution. The negotiations process doesn't include the prerequisites for real progress. Azerbaijan and the NKR lack mutual confidence and Azerbaijan is to blame for that. Azerbaijan currently rejects any contact with the NKR." Despite the process of negotiations, the Deputy Foreign Minister says that independence is not a matter of discussion. "We only face the issue of international recognition."
Touching upon the signed Turkish-Armenian protocols and their impact on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution, Mr. Barseghyan said: "Of course we are interested in Turkey's interest in the conflict resolution. As you know, to this day, Turkey has had a negative impact on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and has acted for the benefit of Azerbaijan. However, we are in favor of having good relations with all countries of the region and to have open borders."
