ArmInfo. Minsk's official stand on Karabakh settlement is reflected in the CSTO Declaration adopted in Yerevan and Alexander Lukashenko also put his signature under it, Eduard Sharmazanov, Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, Co-Chair of the Armenian- Belarusian Inter-Parliamentary Commission on Cooperation, has told ArmInfo, when commenting on the joint statement of the Azeri and Belarusian Presidents in Baku, which contains provisions running counter to the position of the OSCE Minsk Group.
"On October 14, in the presence of Lukashenko, the CSTO Declaration was adopted in Yerevan and it was signed also by Lukashenko. The Declaration reflected the stand of the CSTO member states on the Karabakh conflict settlement. In particular, the document expressed solidarity to the Minsk and St. Petersburg arrangements on reduction of escalation in the conflict zone and peaceful settlement of the problem on the basis of three principles - peoples' right to self-determination, territorial integrity of states and non-use of force. The Armenian side considers this as the official stand of Belarus and CSTO member states on the Karabakh settlement. To violate of the document provisions means to ignore the CSTO stand. I think all heads of the CSTO member states respect their own signatures," the politician says.
He recalls that the Karabakh peace process is going on under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group on the basis of the Helsinki principles. "Everyone should understand that there is no alternative to independence of Nagorno-Karabakh. It is for the people of Artsakh to decide their fate on the basis of these principles," he said.
When asked whether the Armenian side should assess Lukashenko's statements, Sharmazanov recalls that a similar incident was fixed during the April war days and the Ambassador of Belarus was summoned to the Armenian Foreign Ministry.
The joint statement of Lukashenko and Aliyev, issued following the negotiations in Baku on November 28, says that Belarus and Azerbaijan campaign for the Karabakh conflict settlement in line with the international law standards. The sides point out the importance of resolving the Karabakh conflict in compliance with the generally accepted principles and international law standards, first of all, with due regard for sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the states' borders, as well as the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and OSCE decisions.