Yerevan denies controversial interview
The Armenian presidential administration has denied
President Serzh Sarkisian had given an interview to Russia`s
Moskovski Komsomolets newspaper detailing his position on the
Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict.
The ``exclusive interview`` was posted on the publication`s website on Sunday. Sarkisian reportedly put forward three conditions to Azerbaijan for holding further talks on settling the nearly two-decade-long dispute: Upper Garabagh should not be part of Azerbaijan, its ``independence`` should be recognized, and the region should have a safe communication link with Armenia. The Armenian president said that, only if these conditions are met, Yerevan might be ready to hold dialog with Baku, according to the newspaper.
Sarkisian also said that ``we have no intent to make concessions to Azerbaijan. Concessions are absolutely ruled out.``
``Azerbaijan is demanding that we vacate the occupied territories. These lands [seven Azerbaijani districts adjacent to Garabagh] draw the border between us [the two countries] and are our security zone. We will not return these lands. They can call us invaders. This doesn`t bother me.``
Sarkisian claimed that ``if they [Azerbaijan] could regain these lands by force, they would have done it a long time ago. But they didn`t. So, they are doing what we are telling them to do.``
The conflict between the two South Caucasus republics reared up in the late 1980s due to Armenia`s territorial claims. Armenia has been occupying over 20 percent of Azerbaijan`s internationally-recognized territory since the early 1990s in defiance of international law. The ceasefire accord was signed in 1994, but over a decade of efforts by US, Russian and French mediators have been fruitless so far.
Sarkisian`s interview came into spotlight two days after it was reportedly published, as Armenian officials denied its very existence. But Yekaterina Sazhneva, the journalist who wrote the article, indicated that the interview was taken in a ``tie-free`` environment. It has now been published by numerous Russian news websites.
According to Lenta.ru, a source at the Armenian President`s Office confirmed that Sarkisian had met with Sazhneva on ``the Day of the Russian Language`` in Armenia, but added that such an interview had never taken place and that the president`s rhetoric had been distorted.
``President Sarkisian has not given an interview to either the newspaper or Yekaterina Sazhneva…The questions cited in the interview were not asked during the president`s meeting with the journalists on the sidelines of the event, and his words were absolutely distorted,`` said Sarkisian`s spokesman, Samvel Fermanian.
Fermanian said that, moreover, Sazhneva had not issued a notice that she planned to publish an interview, which runs counter to journalistic ethics.
Following strongly-worded remarks by President Sarkisian`s team, the newspaper extended an apology to the head of state.
``Actually, Sarkisian has not been interviewed by Moskovski Komsomolets,`` Vadim Poegli, the newspaper`s deputy editor-in-chief, has told local Interfax news agency. ``An article that was not ready for publication was published due to an editor`s mistake. The story misinterpreted excerpts from Sarkisian`s various statements.``
The ``exclusive interview`` was posted on the publication`s website on Sunday. Sarkisian reportedly put forward three conditions to Azerbaijan for holding further talks on settling the nearly two-decade-long dispute: Upper Garabagh should not be part of Azerbaijan, its ``independence`` should be recognized, and the region should have a safe communication link with Armenia. The Armenian president said that, only if these conditions are met, Yerevan might be ready to hold dialog with Baku, according to the newspaper.
Sarkisian also said that ``we have no intent to make concessions to Azerbaijan. Concessions are absolutely ruled out.``
``Azerbaijan is demanding that we vacate the occupied territories. These lands [seven Azerbaijani districts adjacent to Garabagh] draw the border between us [the two countries] and are our security zone. We will not return these lands. They can call us invaders. This doesn`t bother me.``
Sarkisian claimed that ``if they [Azerbaijan] could regain these lands by force, they would have done it a long time ago. But they didn`t. So, they are doing what we are telling them to do.``
The conflict between the two South Caucasus republics reared up in the late 1980s due to Armenia`s territorial claims. Armenia has been occupying over 20 percent of Azerbaijan`s internationally-recognized territory since the early 1990s in defiance of international law. The ceasefire accord was signed in 1994, but over a decade of efforts by US, Russian and French mediators have been fruitless so far.
Sarkisian`s interview came into spotlight two days after it was reportedly published, as Armenian officials denied its very existence. But Yekaterina Sazhneva, the journalist who wrote the article, indicated that the interview was taken in a ``tie-free`` environment. It has now been published by numerous Russian news websites.
According to Lenta.ru, a source at the Armenian President`s Office confirmed that Sarkisian had met with Sazhneva on ``the Day of the Russian Language`` in Armenia, but added that such an interview had never taken place and that the president`s rhetoric had been distorted.
``President Sarkisian has not given an interview to either the newspaper or Yekaterina Sazhneva…The questions cited in the interview were not asked during the president`s meeting with the journalists on the sidelines of the event, and his words were absolutely distorted,`` said Sarkisian`s spokesman, Samvel Fermanian.
Fermanian said that, moreover, Sazhneva had not issued a notice that she planned to publish an interview, which runs counter to journalistic ethics.
Following strongly-worded remarks by President Sarkisian`s team, the newspaper extended an apology to the head of state.
``Actually, Sarkisian has not been interviewed by Moskovski Komsomolets,`` Vadim Poegli, the newspaper`s deputy editor-in-chief, has told local Interfax news agency. ``An article that was not ready for publication was published due to an editor`s mistake. The story misinterpreted excerpts from Sarkisian`s various statements.``
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