For continuation of negotiations by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ mediation, it is necessary to consolidate the cease-fire regime. It is impossible to negotiate when shooting is continuing.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan stated the abovementioned to Die Presse, a German-language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Vienna, Austria, in response to the query on whether Armenia is ready for negotiations with Azerbaijan.

“The cease-fire was established in 1994 by the trilateral (Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan) cease-fire agreement signed. Despite regular violations, it is in force up to date,” Kocharyan added. “On April 2, Azerbaijan breached the agreement, unleashing military actions. The 1994 agreement was restored under an oral arrangement of April 5. Azerbaijan tries to undermine the Minsk process. It is now important to consolidate the cease-fire. Our servicemen were killed also after April 5.”

To the remark that, “The same is on the other side, as is informed from Baku,” the Armenian Deputy FM noted: “I cannot exclude that, as the Nagorno-Karabakh Army is forced to respond to the firing.”

In response to the question as to why this war happened over this very period of time, Kocharyan stated: “This question should be addressed to Baku. There might be different reasons. It is Baku’s policy to resolve this issue through use of force. Obviously, they had an illusion of carrying out a blitzkrieg. They failed. There is a huge discontent in the country, concerning the corrupt regime. War may distract attention.”

In his words, “The war is a threat to all of us, both to Armenians and Azerbaijanis. They revealed that they do not follow those arrangements. When it comes to military equipment, I should mention, that yes, Baku is a ‘leading champion’ in arming. But this did not help in carrying out a pre-planned blitzkrieg.”

The Armenian deputy FM added that, “International mediators should openly condemn Baku’s offensives; one should no longer turn a blind eye to this. All the time Baku demands withdrawal from “occupied” territories, however, withholds the fact that there are regions of Nagorno-Karabakh that are under the Azerbaijani control. Madrid principles read about self-determination of Nagorno-Karabakh and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and there is a possibility for compromise here.”

Asked whether the Armenian party is ready for this compromise, Kocharyan replied: “There will not be any one-sided concession. One should realize that there are issues which are beyond Armenia’s jurisdiction. Yerevan cannot say we are ready to return territories, when it concerns Nagorno-Karabakh. Yerevan cannot make a decision on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. They [i.e. Nagorno-Karabakh] are the ones to decide. We do not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh in order to preserve the negotiation process.” 

And as per the possibility of Armenia recognizing the Nagorno-Karabakh, Shavarsh Kocharyan stressed: “President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan stated that once Azerbaijan launches a large-scale aggression, this would lead to the recognition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic by Armenia.”