|
The "Tatik and Papik" Statue in
the Nagorno Karabakh capital of Stepanakert
YEREVAN (ArmRadio)—Yerevan will recognize the
independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic if Baku breaks
from peace talks and resumes military activities, the Armenian
President’s spokesperson said Monday in a written statement.
“Should the peace talks suspend and military
actions start, nothing will prevent Armenia from recognizing the
independence of Nagorno Karabakh,” Presidential press secretary
Samvel Farmanyan told the Armenpress news agency.
Farmanyan’s remarks came a day after Armenian
President Serzh Sarkisian met with his Azeri counterpart Ilham
Aliyev for scheduled talks in Munich. International mediators
from the OSCE Minsk Group gave a mixed assessment of the sixth
face-to-face encounter this year between the leaders, saying
that they made progress on some issues but failed to agree on
others.
Presidents Serzh Sarkisian and Ilham Aliyev
met in Munich for their sixth face-to-face encounter this year
amid lingering international hopes for a near-term solution to
the Karabakh conflict. They left the four-hour meeting, partly
attended by the American, French and Russian mediators, at the
French General Consul’s residence there without talking to
reporters.
Ahead of the Munich talks, Aliyev said that
their failure to produce results would leave Azerbaijan with no
choice but to try to solve the conflict by force. “Azerbaijan is
spending billions on buying new weapons, hardware, strengthening
its position on the line of contact,” Aliyev said in comments
broadcast on Saturday. “We have the full right to liberate our
land by military means.”
Farmanyan condemned Aliyev’s bellicose
rhetoric, saying his remarks “testify to Azerbaijan’s
unconstructive stance” in the negotiations.
“Armenia has always declared it sees no
alternative to a peaceful settlement” to the Karabakh conflict,
he said. “Armenia does believe that it is possible to reach the
peaceful and comprehensive resolution of the issue through peace
talks.”
The outbreak of tension around the Karabakh
conflict “would certainly be the most unwanted outcome,”
Farmanyan cautioned. “It will be the most undesirable
development for Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia and the whole region.”
Although Armenia seeks peace, Farmanyan
added, it “cannot stay indifferent to the fate of the people of
Nagorno Karabakh. That is why the President of Armenia and other
officials have declared on different occasions that we are
responsible for the security of the people of Nagorno Karabakh,”
he said. “There are options, and I’m confident that Armenia will
use those options separately or altogether,” Farmanyan said,
adding that Armenia has not recognized Karabakh’s independence
in order “not to hinder the peace talks.”
“Let’s suppose that the Republic of Armenia recognizes the
independence of Nagorno Karabakh with all the ensuing
consequences. Secondly, the Republic of Armenia might sign a
cooperation agreement with the Nagorno Karabakh Republic,” he
said.
In his statement, Farmanyan also denied
recent reports in Azeri media that the talks in Munich included
discussions on the transfer to Azerbaijan of the liberated
territory of Kelbajar, which links Armenia and Karabakh. The
reports speculated that the two sides agreed to transfer the
territory to Azerbaijan by year end to open the way for Turkey
to ratify agreements with Armenia to normalize relations.
“In Armenia we have already gotten used to
the fact that following every meeting between the Presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan, well-informed forces report about
non-existent discussions and agreements. It’s simple
misinformation and has nothing to do with reality,” Farmanyan
said. “The question [of Kelbajar] is not for discussion.
Therefore, such an agreement is impossible. It has been
repeatedly stated that the issue of the status of Karabakh lies
at the core of the talks. Other issues are secondary.”
|
