The RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs regards as inadvisable the recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh by the Armenian Parliament as long as the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process is in progress within the OSCE Minsk Group and prospects for settlement within the present format exist, RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian stated on Oct 20.

He stressed Armenia does not rule out other possibilities if the ways of settling the conflict within the present format run out. Minister Nalbandian restated the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process is based on the three international principles: peoples’ right to self-determination, territorial integrity and nonuse of force. Also, the following six components underlie the negotiation process: determination of Nagorno-Karabakh’s final status through the expression of the Nagorno-Karabakh people’s will, which is to be preceded by the determination of Nagorno-Karabakh’s interim status (which is actually its present status); land communication between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh; international security guarantees, including the deployment of international peacemakers; return of refugees and territories.

Minister Nalbandian pointed out that the three principles and six components underlie the Madrid principles of 2007. This year an updated version of the Madrid principles was presented to the sides in Saint Petersburg. The Armenian side accepted both the documents as a basis for negotiations. Azerbaijan, however, stated it accepted only one of the drat proposals with reservations.