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  • It is time for decisive steps

    It is time for decisive steps

    Vardges Ovyan
    12-04-2008 12:22:58 - KarabakhOpen


    The UN GA resolution and the efforts of Azerbaijan to shift the talks
    for Karabakh from the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group to other
    international organizations reminded of the existence of the Karabakh
    issue. The first was the president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan to
    respond, who stated that if Azerbaijan carries on this policy, Armenia
    and Karabakh will have to correct their approaches, and the recognition
    of Artsakh by Armenia is not ruled out.

    This was followed by discussion of the settlement of Karabakh at the
    National Assembly of Armenia. The mistakes of the Armenian diplomacy
    and information agencies in responding to the initiatives of the foe
    are already admitted officially. However, the problem is not admitting
    mistakes, especially that not every mistake is easily corrected. The
    train of the Karabakh settlement has gone too far and now decisive
    steps are needed.

    The Minsk Group and the authors of the UN GA resolution speak only
    about the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, the return of seven
    territories and Azerbaijani refugees. There is no word about half a
    million Armenian refugees from Shahumyan, Getashen, Kirovabad, Sumgait,
    Baku. According to the proposals, the Armenian force should be
    withdrawn from Artsakh, and only after that the talks for the status of
    Karabakh will start, which `must be determined through a compromise'.
    It turns out that compromise is applied only to the issue of status of
    Karabakh.

    According to the logic of proposals offered to the sides, we must give
    everything that we need for our life and security to Azerbaijan and
    only after that they will bother to talk to us about the status. In
    addition, they demand a compromise.

    I am deeply convinced that Artsakh should make decisive steps. We
    should already realize that diplomacy defies modesty. An Azerbaijani
    slaughtered an Armenian at the heart of Europe, and we were silent.
    Moreover, many thought that we should not get off our civilized
    loftiness and be reduced to our neighbors. Our foe cleared Nakhidjevan
    of the native Armenian population, defiled graves, but we did not utter
    a word on how we can live side by side with a nation which destroys
    even our history.

    It is high time that we stand up for our right to live. And since the
    proposals included in the international documents over the past 15
    years do not reflect our interests, I think the NKR government, namely
    the National Assembly, should discuss the recent developments regarding
    the Karabakh issue and adopt a statement. The parliament must state
    that it rejects the proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group because those
    proposals leave out Karabakh and ignore the rights and interests of the
    people of Karabakh.

    It is necessary to focus on the political and legal aspects (Artsakh
    was never part of independent Azerbaijan, and in the Soviet years it
    was acceded by Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan) rather than the
    opposition of the issues of territorial integrity and
    self-determination.

    It is necessary to initiate international discussions on the problem of
    Shahumyan, part of Martakert and Martuni regions, which are still
    occupied by Azerbaijan, as well as the fate of half a million people
    displaced from the areas of Azerbaijan populated by Armenians.

    Today, I think, there are favorable conditions for such statements,
    namely the aspiration of Azerbaijan to change the format of the
    mediation mission, the new governments in Armenia and NKR which suppose
    new approaches and a new policy.

    It is time for decisive steps, response to the aggressive policy and
    propaganda of Azerbaijan. Especially that the Armenian political
    scientists and diplomats are already talking about it loudly.
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