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Karabakh leader rules out return of territories to Azerbaijan

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  • Karabakh leader rules out return of territories to Azerbaijan

    Karabakh leader rules out return of territories to Azerbaijan

    Aykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
    31 May 05

    Text of Naira Zograbyan report by Armenian newspaper Aykakan Zhamanak
    on 31 May headlined "Only mutual compromises"

    On 28 May, the president of the NKR , Arkadiy Gukasyan, took part in a
    "round dance of unity". He later answered journalists' questions.

    [Aykakan Zhamanak correspondent] Mr Gukasyan, the Armenian and
    Azerbaijani presidents are to meet in June. Is that possible that a
    document with new elements will be put forward for negotiations?

    [Gukasyan] No, it is not. All the possible options were put forward
    long ago and I do not think there is something new to say.

    [Correspondent] If the parties have discussed all the possible options
    and have accepted none of them, is there any point in continuing the
    negotiating process?

    [Gukasyan] The process is continuing and I think the parties have to
    mellow and this is relevant to Azerbaijan in the first place.

    [Correspondent] What can you say about rumours that the liberated
    territories [seven districts around Nagornyy Karabakh under Armenian
    control] will be returned to Azerbaijan?

    [Gukasyan] This is a careless approach because the problem of the
    districts should be discussed only within the general context. We
    raise the problem of status [of Nagornyy Karabakh] and Azerbaijan
    raises the problem of the districts, I mean there are no points of
    contiguity between our and their problems.

    [Correspondent] Can this contiguity appear?

    [Gukasyan] I am sure we will come to common ground some day. We do not
    have an alternative, we should settle this problem at the negotiating
    table. But I cannot say when this will be possible.

    [Correspondent] Mr Gukasyan, did the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen
    set a deadline for solving the problem?

    [Gukasyan] I do not think that they can give us time, time is always
    ours and we ourselves are interested in settling the problem as soon
    as possible.

    [Correspondent] What are the compromises you can accept?

    [Gukasyan] If Azerbaijan does not want to talk about compromises
    at all, in that case it is senseless for us to talk about mutual
    compromises.
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