We won the war because we were free
In an interview with Radio "Ekho Moskvi", Serzh Sargsyan announced that Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on the Madrid Principles in 2007.
"This statement needs certain clarification. Armenia didn't agree with the Madrid Principles. Armenia agreed to accept the Madrid Principles as a basis for negotiations," Head of the "Modus Vivendi" Center Ara Papyan told "A1+". Papyan notes that it is still unclear as to what the final agreements will be.
"For Armenia, the important thing is to establish the referendum/plebiscite. However, it is so unclear that the mentioned document is inacceptable in its entirety and in the current form. It can't guarantee durable peace in the region. Taking Azerbaijan's pretention to give whimsical interpretations of the evident facts and international law into account, it would be childish to concede the territories of the Nagorno-Karabakh Conlfict (at least that is what is envisaged in the Madrid Principles) for warrants on paper," says Ara Papyan.
Touching upon Serzh Sargsyan's statement on territories in which he said "nobody denies that there are territories, which used to be a part of Azerbaijan and are currently under the control of the Karabakh army. They were some regions of Azerbaijan and went under the control to create a security zone so that the Azerbaijani army wouldn't be able to bomb the residential areas", Papyan said:
"If Azerbaijan is not fulfilling its duty stated in the ceasefire agreement, what is the guarantee that it will stay true to its word if, imagine, it finds itself in a better military position? Armenia's ability to concede is directly comparative to the current political and economic liberties in Armenia and the NKR. The more freedom there is, the higher the capacity of resisting and fighting. Let's not forget that Armenia won the Karabakh war because the people were free. I don't see that now. A person who can't defend his own interests and is alienated from his country's government cannot and won't want to defend the country."
