THERE ARE NO DOUBT KARABAKH PROBLEM WILL BE SOLVED EXCLUSIVELY VIA MUTUAL CONCESSIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net - "There are no doubt that the Karabakh problem will be solved exclusively on the basis of mutual concessions," Secretary of the National Security Council under the Armenian President, Defense Minister of Armenia Serge Sargsian stated in the course of an on-line interview at Yerkir weekly Internet site. "It is a fact that when creating a security zone in 1992-1994 we did not pursue the goal of extending the territory of either Karabakh or Armenia. If by ceding the security zone we manage to attain more secure conditions for the Karabakh population, it would be possible to discuss the issue," the Minister noted. However, if the matter concerns voluntary ceding of the territories without improving security guarantees for Karabakh, if it concerns "just ceding something, I think no one has the intention to do it." When commenting on the statement of Russian State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov that Armenia is an advanced post for Russia, Serge Sargsian said he thought that B. Gryzlov meant the Armenian-Russian friendship and maybe other conditions and wanted to say that Armenia is an advanced post for that friendship. "Thus, we as members of the Collective Security Treaty are an advanced post for that system. Only if it is the case such an approach is acceptable for me," the head of the Defense Ministry of Armenia stated.