STEPANAKERT. – A status cannot be the guarantee for the security of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh), noted Davit Babayan, the NKR Presidential Spokesperson, speaking to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Babayan said this commenting on the statement by Ambassador James Warlick, US Co-Chair of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, who had noted that the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict supposes the return of some territories to Azerbaijan, in exchange for the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Davit Babayan stressed that Azerbaijan constantly emphasizes the matter of territories, and therefore the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are forced to include it on the agenda because they cannot disregard the demands by a party to this conflict.

“But this doesn’t mean at all that such an approach is acceptable to us,” said the Artsakh presidential spokesperson. “The main [thing] for the NKR is the security guarantees. No status can be a security guarantee, if the opposing party [i.e. Azerbaijan] has not abandoned fascist rhetoric, threatens to ‘liberate territories,’ including [Armenia’s] Zangezur and [capital city] Yerevan.”

He recalled that there are many examples in the world when recognized states have become the target of aggression.

Furthermore, as per Babayan, it is unacceptable to exchange territories with a status also because the term “status” may imply autonomy within Azerbaijan.

“When discussing the issue of territories, we need to [also] bear in mind the [Armenian] territories under Azerbaijani control: Getashen, Shahumyan, northern Artsakh, etc.,” noted Davit Babayan. “The correct [conflict] settlement option is Azerbaijan’s recognition of the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Only then will it be possible to sit at the negotiating table, and discuss the matter of the borders.”