Arkadi Ghukassian on Kosovo and Karabakh: World fears from precedents
"Unfortunately, the world elite does not try to find a legal solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict walking on the way of political settlement," NKR President Arkadi Ghukassian stated in his lecture at the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) State University in Yerevan July 3. He also stressed that Stepanakert does not oppose political settlement, but the legal base may assist the decision making process.
"Kosovo's example encourages us, and irrespective of how hard we are being convinced that it cannot serve as a precedent for other unrecognized republics, it does not fit in logical frames," Arkadi Ghukassian underlined adding that the world fears from precedents. "It is much more easier for the world superpowers to act basing on already existing standards than to create new ones. Besides, recognition of Kosovo's independence may become a cause for new conflicts, and the world community does not want such a thing to happen. I am sure that Nagorno Karabakh has much more arguments to seek independence than Kosovo," A. Ghukassian said.
He reminded, western diplomacy thinks that Kosovo cannot serve as an example for other unrecognized republics, but Russia adheres to the opposite position. "Western diplomats must explain why Kosovo can be independent and Nagorno Karabakh not," the NKR President stressed. The independence and establishment of statehood was not an end in itself for Nagorno Karabakh. "We did not want to prove that we can do it. Statehood is an inevitability, it is for protecting borders and mobilizing own resources for its defense," Arkadi Ghukassian concluded, IA Regnum reports.
"Kosovo's example encourages us, and irrespective of how hard we are being convinced that it cannot serve as a precedent for other unrecognized republics, it does not fit in logical frames," Arkadi Ghukassian underlined adding that the world fears from precedents. "It is much more easier for the world superpowers to act basing on already existing standards than to create new ones. Besides, recognition of Kosovo's independence may become a cause for new conflicts, and the world community does not want such a thing to happen. I am sure that Nagorno Karabakh has much more arguments to seek independence than Kosovo," A. Ghukassian said.
He reminded, western diplomacy thinks that Kosovo cannot serve as an example for other unrecognized republics, but Russia adheres to the opposite position. "Western diplomats must explain why Kosovo can be independent and Nagorno Karabakh not," the NKR President stressed. The independence and establishment of statehood was not an end in itself for Nagorno Karabakh. "We did not want to prove that we can do it. Statehood is an inevitability, it is for protecting borders and mobilizing own resources for its defense," Arkadi Ghukassian concluded, IA Regnum reports.
