Azerbaijan knows that Armenia not to agree to one-sided concession: expert

Armenia’s second president Robert Kocharyan referred in an interview with 168 Zham to the Karabakh conflict settlement issue. Aysor.am has spoken with the expert Suren Sargsyan about some observations of the former president.

Asked whether he shares the viewpoint that the Armenia side gave too much hopes to Azerbaijan and co-chairs regarding conceding the territories which is why the upcoming proposals of the Minsk Group will not be so favorable for Armenia, Sargsyan said that the Armenian PM and Azerbaijani president have not met at the presence of the OSCE Minsk group.

“The meetings between Nikol Pashinyan and Iham Aliyev were of exclusively other nature. In essence, it has been noted that the parties have not negotiated but had some discussions to understand positions over certain points,” he said, adding that it is difficult to say what impression Azerbaijan had of these contacts.

“But I think in Armenia, in Azerbaijan as well as OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs clearly understand that Armenia will not make one-sided concessions and will not undertake steps that can endanger Armenia and Artsakh,” he stressed, adding that it is clear for all that no matter who is in power and who negotiates, Armenia will never agree to unfavorable steps.

As to whether the attempts of the Prime Minister to hide the circumstance that negotiations are being held, Sargsyan said that the sides have many times stated that these are not negotiations, but the sides are trying to clarify the positions of one another.

“In near future the meeting, the main negotiation process with the participation of leaders of the two states will start,” he said, adding that the outcome is unclear, but the meeting is important regarding the preservation of the format with the participation of the OSCE Minsk group co-chairs.

“The negotiations’ format must be preserved, it is a principle issue for Armenia,” the expert said.

As to whether Dushanbe elevator talks buried the Vienna and St. Petersburg arrangements beneficial for Armenia, like Kocharyan stated, Sargsyan said that all should realize that Vienna and St. Petersburg arrangements must be implemented by all means.

“This should be another principle position for Armenia. As far as no meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders took place with the participation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs I would wait for the meeting to take place and then a statement be released and the people receive information whether the arrangements are still in force or have become a history,” Sargsyan said.