New reality has formed in the South Caucasus – the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process will be within the Russia-Azerbaijan-Turkey format, the Leader of the Armenian National Congress (ANC), Levon Ter-Petrosyan stated at the ANC-held rally in Yerevan on September 17.

According to him, the OSCE Minsk Group will be preserved not to irritate the West. Ter-Petrosyan reminded the participants that it is Russia that has the key to settlement. In the context of the Russian military base’s longer presence in Armenia and the sale of the Russian S-300 systems to Azerbaijan, Russia has strengthened its positions and enhanced its role in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. According to Ter-Petrosyan, Russia and Azerbaijan are now strategic partners. Armenia has lost its monopoly – being Russia’s principal partner in the region. According to the first Armenian President, he forecast all this back in 1988. Under the circumstances, the only thing for the Armenian authorities to do is to reign themselves to the fate and seek fortune in Moscow or Ankara or, to be precise, at the Russian-Turkish-Azerbaijani supreme bodies. Although the U.S Administration was the only one to challenge Serzh Sargsyan’s legitimacy in the 2008 elections, the U.S. has been supporting Serzh Sargsyan for two years and a half.

“What is the aim? No comments. It should be stressed that illegitimacy and corruption are the leverage the West has used to get the promises and concessions on the Armenian-Turkish relations and Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. But if the promises fail to be kept, the leverage will be used in a different direction. And this time seems to be coming,” Ter-Petrosyan said. The incumbent authorities must do the following: ensure domestic political liberalization, establish democracy, release political prisoners, ensure respect for human rights in Armenia and Stepanakert’s return to the negotiating table. “Serzh Sargsyan does not do any of these things,” Ter-Petrosyan said. Although the ANC is for the speediest settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it state that “any decision made without the NKR’s participation or one that will not be signed by official Stepanakert will not be accepted by the Opposition.” Moreover, the agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh must be submitted to a referendum both in Armenia and in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Opposition is also against ratification of Armenian-Turkish protocols unless the point on an Armenian-Turkish committee of historians is removed from them.

In this context, Ter-Petrosyan noted that Serzh Sargsyan has no public mandate to make any concessions. First, in his election program he did not promise to form a committee of historians nor did he promise that Nagorno-Karabakh will remain outside the negotiation process. He did not promise the opening of foreign-language schools in Armenia. “He is not elected President. The agreement and laws signed by him have no legal force” Ter-Petrosyan said. On the other hand, the Opposition believes there are still opportunities for a dialogue with the authorities. “However, the main condition for this dialogue is, besides the release of political prisoners, is a proper investigation of the March 1 2008 murders and punishment of those guilty,” Ter-Petrosyan said. The only subject of the dialogue is a peaceful handover of power to the people. “This is the only possible by means of early elections – first presidential and them parliamentary,” the Opposition Leader said. Change of power is a matter of principle, rather than an end in itself, for the Opposition, he concluded.