Stepanakert authorities must start working seriously: Ex Karabakh FM

Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan told the reporters today that Armenia cannot assume the whole commitments in the Karabakh negotiation process. Aysor.am has conducted interview with former foreign minister of Karabakh Arman Melikyan.

- Mr Melikyan, do you see any need in singing corresponding document registering commitments of the parties legally?

- Armenia’s foreign minister stresses that issues on Artsakh’s security and status are prior for Armenia and bypass the issue of territorial integrity.

We can state that the official Yerevan expects concessions from Azerbaijan regarding security and status against handing territories.

Artsakh does not accept this formula, thus I consider signing of such document less possible. I think official Yerevan will continue its contacts with Azerbaijan without signing any document restricting any of the parties. 

It will be good if during this time Stepanakert works out and puts into effect own foreign policy strategy which will include principle provisions relating to the negotiation process.

- Will such agreement have negative or positive impact on the negotiation process, taking into consideration the Azerbaijani response?

- In the created situation the signing of such like document is less possible as currently the official Yerevan continues negotiating over the same previous formula but currently it does not represent Artsakh.

As to the content, there are no new approaches. More probably, there is no intention to carry our other activities yet.

- Mr. Melikyan, why has not any such document been signed until now?

- If you are talking about Yerevan-Stepanakert bilateral official agreement, it would have been like a trust deed with which Stepanakert which does not participate in talks would authorize official Yerevan to negotiate over some issues and not to negotiate over other issues that go beyond the circles of the fixed issues.

As far as Serzh Sargsyan was representing republics of Armenia and Artsakh the signing of such document was senseless. While now when Armenia represents only itself and claims that it cannot represent Artsakh, official Stepanakert must draw the red lines which will ensure its sovereignty domain from unacceptable proposals or solutions. What I say, is that the time has come for people in Stepanakert to move and start serious professional work.