Armenian Foreign Minister: "The status issue is principal and the initial cause in this conflict and in case the status of Nagorno Karabakh is defined the resolution of other issues will be facilitated"

- I do not think that all issues are settled and only one or two unsettled issues are left. It is not true. We are currently in the phase, which was approved by the two presidents at the meeting in Saint Petersburg. There the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia confirmed their intention to continue talks on the basis of Madrid principles, proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs in November of 2007. We hope that conditions for the meeting of two presidents will be created after the presidential elections and this meeting will be a stimulus for intensification of the negotiation process.

This statement was made by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan in his interview to BBC Azerbaijan. We present you the extracts from the said interview:

- Currently the press informs about the presence of a definite plan, envisioning return of 7 regions of Azerbaijan, of internally displaced persons, the width of the Lachin Corridor and definition of the status of Nagorno Karabakh. Do you confirm that this plan is really being discussed?

- You have mentioned the status issue the last in the line, however, this issue is principal in this conflict and the initial cause. The settlement of other issues will be facilitated if the status of Nagorno Karabakh is defined.

- What is the position of the sides in the issue of the status? Are the positions of the sides close in the status issue?

- I think our positions have become close. But another step is necessary... It is connected with the issue of the political will.

- Do you mean a referendum?

- We can speak much about it but I do not want to declare the confidentiality of talks, proposals of the Minsk Group are confidential. But the press has been informing for a long time that this implies a referendum and this referendum must settle the status on the basis of free will of the people of Nagorno Karabakh.

- Do you confirm it or base on what is written in press?

- I speak of what is published in the press. But anyway this is said by the Foreign Minister.

- Do you imply only the Armenian population or Azerbaijani population of Nagorno Karabakh as well When speaking about the will of Nagorno Karabakh people?

- When speaking about the will of Nagorno Karabakh people, we imply those who earlier lived there and those who live there now, that is Armenians. The results of the census enumeration before 1988 are known. These results give us numbers regarding proportions between the Azerbaijani and Armenian people. Therefore, there are no problems here and this proportion should be taken into consideration.

- Do you mean that the results of the referendum will base on this very proportion? Do the sides agree on it?

- You are now trying to get the details from me... I can not declare the remaining details but I have already fixed the essence of the issue. Now it is for you to guess about the rest

- You have said that the status of Nagorno Karabakh is a principal issue in the negotiation process. The President of Azerbaijan said Nagorno Karabakh will never be independent.

- We can also say something of the kind. But talks are held and they are very serious. We should understand that by saying "never" we will never be able to settle the issue. It means that we should never say "never" during the talks. Therefore, it is necessary to search for concessions, understand the position of the other side and know the limit of concessions, which one demands. Otherwise, if we step over a definite limit, the whole structure may be damaged and we may lose everything and even what could have been attained earlier.

- Which concessions will the Armenian side do?

- We and Azerbaijanis are well aware of where the red line between Armenian and Azerbaijani side crosses. I think after longlasting talks we reached the stage for us to stop on the medium, make concessions and say "yes, we are settling the issue".

/Day.Az/