FM Nalbandian: Karabakh Can Never be Part of Azerbaijan

YEREVAN — Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian stated, in televised remarks broadcast on Armenian Public TV late on Wednesday, that Nagorno-Karabakh can never be a part of Azerbaijan.

Reflecting on speculations about a new document on the negotiation table for settling the issue, Nalbandian said Azerbaijan “will have to return to the negotiating process after its failed attempt to forcibly end the Karabakh conflict.” adding “I think that nobody needs new hostilities and wars. We should carry on with the negotiation path and try to find a way of solving the problem only through peace negotiations. I think that is possible.”

Nalbandian stressed that “the main essence of this negotiating process is that Karabakh can never become part of Azerbaijan.”

Nalbandian said that Baku launched offensive military operations at the northern and southern sections of the Karabakh “line of contact” after failing to clinch more concessions from the Armenians as well as international mediators. “The goal was obvious: to solve the problem by military means,” he said.

“I think that Azerbaijan failed to achieve its minimum and maximum goals,” added Nalbandian. “It will now have to return to the negotiation process … and continue negotiations.”
“Of course, it’s not easy to restart negotiations,” said Nalbandian. “Appropriate conditions need to be put in place, and that’s what the three co-chairs are trying to do.”

The top Armenian diplomat also highlighted the depth of Armenian-Russian relations, saying: “It is not Azerbaijan that hosts a Russia military base, it is not Azerbaijan that is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), it is not Azerbaijan that has dozens of agreements with Russia relating to the defense, military and industrial spheres. It was not Azerbaijan, which signed [in 2010] the fifth protocol [on the military base in Armenia] with Russia. The list may be continued.”

Nalbandian also said that Armenia will raise the issue of the positions of some of its allies at an upcoming CSTO Foreign Ministers’ Summit in Yerevan.