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.