Sarkisian claims self-styled republic should join peace talks
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has claimed that a negotiated
settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh is possible only if the self-proclaimed Upper Garabagh
republic becomes directly involved in the ongoing peace talks.
The astonishing statement was made as Sarkisian hosted a "parliament" delegation of the separatist regime attending a meeting of the inter-parliamentary cooperation commission in Yerevan.
The Armenian president believes that a peaceful Garabagh settlement is possible but only if the self-proclaimed republic is allowed "to be involved in discussing issues pertaining to its fate and say its piece."
Sarkisian noted that after meetings on conflict settlement with Azerbaijan, he comprehensively informs the so-called "president of Upper Garabagh" about the essence of the discussions and issues on the agenda. He alleged further: "It should be clear to everyone that the people of Artsakh [meaning Garabagh] have gained their independence by shedding blood."
Upper Garabagh is an historical Azerbaijani territory. Armenians were settled there in the early 19th century. Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict over the mountainous region for nearly two decades. OSCE-brokered peace talks kicked off after a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a shaky cease-fire in 1994. Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven adjacent Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. Baku says the occupied districts must be freed and Azerbaijani refugees displaced during the armed conflict in the early 1990s returned home, and only after that could the status of Upper Garabagh be determined within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.*
The astonishing statement was made as Sarkisian hosted a "parliament" delegation of the separatist regime attending a meeting of the inter-parliamentary cooperation commission in Yerevan.
The Armenian president believes that a peaceful Garabagh settlement is possible but only if the self-proclaimed republic is allowed "to be involved in discussing issues pertaining to its fate and say its piece."
Sarkisian noted that after meetings on conflict settlement with Azerbaijan, he comprehensively informs the so-called "president of Upper Garabagh" about the essence of the discussions and issues on the agenda. He alleged further: "It should be clear to everyone that the people of Artsakh [meaning Garabagh] have gained their independence by shedding blood."
Upper Garabagh is an historical Azerbaijani territory. Armenians were settled there in the early 19th century. Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict over the mountainous region for nearly two decades. OSCE-brokered peace talks kicked off after a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a shaky cease-fire in 1994. Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven adjacent Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. Baku says the occupied districts must be freed and Azerbaijani refugees displaced during the armed conflict in the early 1990s returned home, and only after that could the status of Upper Garabagh be determined within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.*
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