Thursday, April 23 2020 13:24

ArmInfo. For Armenia, proposals that imply a phased version of the settlement of the  Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, submitted even before 2018, are  unacceptable. The official representative of the Armenian Foreign  Ministry Anna Naghdalyan announced this at the request of Kommersant.

"The results of the meeting on April 15, 2019 were formulated in a  joint statement by the foreign ministers of Armenia, Russia,  Azerbaijan and the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, which outlines  the negotiations, and it does not contain links or even hints of a  phased settlement," Naghdalyan said.

At the same time, she emphasized that the proposals, which imply a  phased version of the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict settlement,  submitted before 2018, are unacceptable to Armenia.

"Moreover, since 2018 Armenia has not been conducting negotiations on  the basis of a phased settlement.  Armenia has a clear vision of  balanced approaches based on compromises and proportionality of  obligations that can lead to a fair and sustainable settlement of the  Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," the representative of the Armenian  Foreign Ministry summed up.  On April 21, Russian Foreign Minister  Sergei Lavrov, referring to the Karabakh settlement, noted that there  are various projects to resolve the conflict. He added that projects  that  were presented a year ago, in April last year in Moscow at a  meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia  with the participation of the co-chairs, are being actively  discussed. "These documents presuppose progress towards a settlement  on the basis of a phased approach, suggesting at the first stage the  solution of the most pressing problems, the liberation of a number of  areas around Nagorno-Karabakh and the unblocking of transport,  economic, and other communications. So, I'm convinced that when we  come to a decision on the signing of these documents it will be the  most important step in implementing UN Security Council resolutions  that called for an end to the war and the start of an agreement "-  the Russian minister summed up.

This statement of Lavrov caused a wide public outcry in Armenia.  Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan also reacted to this  statement, who, referring to the issue of territorial concessions,  emphasized that, among other things, it is a security zone and  defense lines, not a single Armenian side can even assume that they  can be revised, jeopardizing security of the population of Artsakh.

"No one can even suggest that one of the Armenian parties may make  concessions that could compromise security of the population of  Artsakh. The second important element underlying the basic principles  of settlement is the principle of self-determination, which is  priority for the Armenian side in these negotiations. We have  repeatedly emphasized status and security as a priority. Now I am  more openly saying that the manifestation of self-determination means  a concretization of status. The right to freedom of expression  without restrictions, a peaceful settlement is possible on the basis  of mutual concessions, "said the Armenian Foreign Minister.

He once again emphasized that the Armenian side will never make  concessions that create threats to the security of the people of  Artsakh, and even more so in those conditions when this threat  continues to be real and existential today. "And for the Armenian  side, the expression of the right to self-determination in this  negotiation process is more than priority. Mutual concessions should  be proportionate. We see in them a full reflection of the elements of  security and status. This is the invariable approach of the Armenian  side, which we always talk about during negotiations," Mnatsakanyan  assured, adding that the public does not have a different picture of  the negotiations, and nothing is hidden from it, since this is simply  impossible.