Babayan to Warlick: Formula `territories in exchange for Artsakh`s  status` inadmissible for Armenian side

ArmInfo. A status cannot guarantee the security of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, NKR President's Spokesperson David Babayan told ArmInfo when commenting on the latest statement by OSCE MG U.S. Co-Chair James Warlick saying the Karabakh conflict's settlement implies the return of part of the territories around Artsakh in exchange for its status. 

In his words, Azerbaijan constantly voices the issue of the  territories and the co-chairs have to put it on agenda, as they  cannot ignore the demands of the sides. "This does not mean, however,  that such approach is acceptable to the Armenian side," the  spokesperson of the NKR president said. He recalled that speaking of  the territories Baku forgets that the Azerbaijani Republic is not the  legal successor of the Azerbaijani SSR, since it has refused from the  political and legal continuity. 

 "Security is the most important thing for the people of  Nagorno-Karabakh. No status is able to provide security, unless the  adversary abandons its fascists rhetoric and the threats to 'liberate  the territories,' including Zangezur and Yerevan," David Babayan  said. In his words, in 90s, the sides could weigh an exchange of the  territories for the status, but after the April war which the  Karabakh people has won and the national-liberation ideology has  turned into state-building ideology, it is no longer possible.  

David Babayan said there are many examples in the world when  recognized states turn into the target of aggression. Besides, he  said, the exchange of the territories for status is inadmissible also  because the general definition can imply an autonomy as part  of Azerbaijan.  "If we speak of the territories, it is necessary to  speak also about the territories under control of Azerbaijan, such as  Getashen, Shahumyan, Northern Artsakh and others," Babayan said.

 "The right option of the settlement is the recognition of NKR's  independence by Azerbaijan without reservation. Only afterwards, it  will be possible to seat at the negotiating table and discuss the  issue of the borders," Babayan said. 

Earlier, US Co-Chair of OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick said in an  interview to Interfax there are certain terms of the settlement but  Armenia and Azerbaijan's Presidents lack political will to achieve  progress. We have discussed these terms with Lavrov as well as the  ways of working with the sides for reaching peaceful settlement of  the conflict, he noted, adding that the USA, Russia and France are on  the same page on the issue.