Every time we reach certain agreements and compromises, Azerbaijan makes a step—and sometimes several steps—back.

Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian, said the aforementioned at an interview during “Nemtsova.Interview” program of DW.

The program host Zhanna Nemtsova decided to ask the Armenian FM several hypothetical questions, part of which related to the Karabakh conflict settlement. Below is the aforementioned interview, in part.

What if you manage to reach a compromise with Azerbaijan in respect of the territorial issue? How do you think it would look like?

You know, you have apparently prepared well for the interview but you asked a question about Karabakh, which doesn’t correspond to the essence of the conflict. This is not a territorial dispute but a human rights issue.

I am asking hypothetical questions at the moment: this doesn’t anyhow reflect my level of preparedness.

Even hypothetically the issue doesn’t concern a territorial dispute. It is Azerbaijan which is presenting [the situation] like this. You have prepared this question based on Azerbaijani sources.

Absolutely not, you are wrong.

Ok. But I will tell you that this is a human right issue, one related to the fundamental right to self-determination. This is a conflict, which apparently differs from others in that the U.S., Russia and France—that is, on behalf of the EU—developed common position on how this conflict can be resolved. And they proposed it to the parties to the conflict, the latter first of all being Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. These positions are reflected in five statements made by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing states—U.S., France and Russia. And on behalf of Armenia, we stated and continue to state that we are ready to move towards settlement on this ground.  

Could you still say how the compromise might look like? You say that I have prepared badly. Since I have prepared badly, please tell how you see the compromise, which would satisfy both sides.

In terms of the compromise I noted that there are five statements which mention what is proposed.

What is proposed? What will satisfy you?

Here is what they propose—this not what Armenia proposes but what they [the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs] do: three principles. The first is the principle of non-use of force or threat of force. As you know, Azerbaijan continues its daily threat to use force and does that. Second, the right to self-determination. And third, the territorial integrity. These are these three principles…

The territorial integrity of which country?

The territorial integrity of all the countries in general, as a principle of international law. The conflict should be resolved on the basis of these principles. Azerbaijan says: here is territorial integrity, but with its own interpretation of the latter. According to the interpretation proposed by Azerbaijan, there would not be so many UN member-states, which became independent through exercising the right to self-determination. In general, the essence of the problem is the self-determination of Nagorno-Karabakh, which held a referendum in due time and the population voted for that during that referendum.

Thus, those proposals of the Co-Chairs mention that the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh should be decided by means of the free expression of will of the Nagorno-Karabakh population, which will have international legal force. This is a very profound formula in that everything is said here. This is what Azerbaijan is afraid of and it says no, we will give this and that to Nagorno-Karabakh, whereas the international community says no, the population should itself decide how to live and what fate they want to have.

The rest are accordingly other elements, the so-called Madrid Principles and elements which were proposed in November 2007 (principles of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group to the parties to the conflict in November 2007).

On the basis of these proposals of the Co-Chairs, we are still holding talks. However, every time we reach certain agreements and compromises, Azerbaijan makes a step—and sometimes several steps—back.