RPA: Sochi agreements more advantageous for Armenia than Madrid Principles

PanARMENIAN.Net - Member of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) parliamentary group Gagik Minasyan said the Sochi agreements on the Karabakh conflict settlement are more advantageous for Armenia than the revised Madrid Principles.

Minasyan noted that, judging from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s reaction after trilateral meetings with participation of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, specifically the meeting in Sochi, one can assume that the Co-Chairmen’s proposals proceed in the direction, to which the Armenian side is adhered, and deviate from the stance supported by Azerbaijan.

“Thus, one can state that the Sochi proposals are much more acceptable and practicable for the Armenian side than Azerbaijan,” Minasyan said, adding that the Deaville statement adopted by the leaders of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair countries makes a reference to the Sochi agreements, but not the Madrid Principles for the Karabakh conflict settlement.

According to Minasyan, the events can develop by two scenarios: either Azerbaijan will continue its tough and destructive policy for solving the conflict by force, what will place it in a vulnerable position, or Azerbaijan will follow the calls and come closer to the principles fixed in Sochi. And these principles are more advantageous for us, than the Madrid Principles, said Minasyan.

Minasyan also commented on the statement of leader of the opposition Armenian National Congress Levon Ter-Petrossian that the Armenian side is exhausting the resources for keeping the status-quo in the Karabakh conflict. “Ter-Petrossian made similar statements many years ago as well,” he said.

Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents - Serzh Sargsyan, Dmitry Medvedev and Ilham Aliyev - adopted a joint statement on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement based on the results of their negotiations in Sochi. The document reads that the Presidents considered matters of practical implementation of the trilateral statement adopted during the October 27, 2010, meeting in Astrakhan. Specifically, the Presidents agreed to finalize the swap of POWs as soon as possible. The document stresses the parties’ willingness “to solve all disputable matters peacefully and conduct investigation of possible incidents along the ceasefire line under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group through the assistance of Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office.” “The Presidents stressed the importance of their regular contacts on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement and agreed to continue them in such format in addition to the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen,” the statement reads.