March 11, 2006 - 15:26 AMT
Baku Twice Tried to Solve Karabakh Issue by Force, Third Attempt Will Be the Last
Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian ruled out the military option of settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The Minister stated it in an interview with Shant TV Company. In his words, proposals on compromise settlement of the issue are on the bargaining table today. Baku should understand that the issue does not have another option of settlement, Oskanian said. The military option is ruled out, he added: «the Azeri party cannot frighten Armenia or change its position.» The Armenian FM remarked that at the moment Azerbaijan is not ready to war. «If the Azeri party does not risk attaining a settlement of the Karabakh issue by compromise, it will never assume the risk of solving the issue by force,» Oskanian said. He reminded that Baku had tried to solve the issue by force twice. «The third attempt will be the last one,» Vartan Oskanian remarked. «In case of resumption of hostilities and a negative outcome for Azerbaijan, its losses will be considerable,» he added. «Billions were invested in that country and these will become victims,» Oskanian remarked. Thus, today no one will let unleashing a war today easily, the Armenian FM said.