Armenian president gives the reason for not recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh Republic

“Because we are currently negotiating. Recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh Republic would mean to give up the negotiations. There is nothing to talk over then,” Sargsyan said. 

Consequently, Armenia does not recognize other republics in a similar condition either, he said. 

Sargsyan also said giving up the talks will increase the probability of resumption of the war. 

“We want the issue to be solved by peaceful means. We believe that the principles and components that form the basis for the joint statements by the presidents of the Russian Federation, the USA and France and Madrid principles provide an opportunity for peaceful settlement,” Sargsyan said. 

“I believe we will come to a solution that will rule out the resumption of military operations and will provide an opportunity of proper co-existence in the region. I am sure about it,” the Armenian president said, as cited by Novosti-Armenia. 

The Karabakh conflict started in 1988 when prevailingly Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh declared withdrawal from Azerbaijan. In a referendum on December 10, 1991, 99.89% of Nagorno-Karabakh population voted for independence from Azerbaijan. 

Azerbaijan responded by large-scale military operations that led to loss of control not only over Nagorno-Karabakh itself, but also over seven adjoining areas. About 25-30 thousand people were killed and about a million had to leave their homes during the military operations. A trilateral cease-fire agreement was signed on May 12, 2004, and has been followed since then. 

The ongoing Karabakh peace process started in 1992 under auspices of OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the USA, Russia and France. –0--