Ex-FM: Armenia had every reason to recognize Karabakh during war

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia had every reason to recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh during the recent war, former Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said during a Yerevan-Moscow videoconference on Friday, December 11, Sputnik Armenia reports.

Nalbandian reminded that unlike the April war in 2016, which was stopped in three and a half days, the current war lasted much longer. Moreover, Azerbaijan failed to honor the agreements on a humanitarian truce three times, which, according to Nalbandian, was enough reason for Yerevan to recognize the independence of Karabakh, and this "could be beneficial."

The final status of Nagorno-Karabakh is the main issue of the negotiation process at this stage, he said.

Nalbandian noted that the issue of status was not mentioned in a recent trilateral statement signed by the heads of the foreign ministries of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries. However, according to statements from the Russian leadership, he said, the issue remains open and can be considered in the future.

He said it is important to understand to what extent the co-chairs will manage to continue negotiations on determining an interim, temporary status for Karabakh. He said all the documents stipulated for an interim status, which is a serious point.