Radar Armenia’s interlocutor is Vahram Atanesyan, former deputy of NKR Central Committee, publicist.
– How would you assess the internal political situation in Artsakh? At the rally yesterday, they demanded that Samvel Babayan be appointed state minister. In your opinion, what can Babayan’s appointment to the state minister position change in the current situation? According to Babayan, creating a professional army and improving the demographic crisis is necessary. Is it possible to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh issue by solving these two issues?
– The fact that political consultations are starting after Samvel Babayan’s rally is significant progress in itself. The political forces should present their ideas, a closed discussion should take place, and a significantly responsible decision should be made. The situation is already critical-limiting.
– According to the declaration, after the meeting in Brussels, Charles Michel announced that Armenia and Azerbaijan recognized each other’s territorial integrity after Alma-Ata, 1991. It was followed by many criticisms that Armenia recognized Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan. How do you interpret the fact of recognizing mutual territorial integrity?
– There is no precedent in the world for regulating interstate relations when countries do not recognize each other’s territorial integrity and inviolability of borders. There is nothing unusual here. The intrigue is elsewhere. Azerbaijan brought to the agenda the provision of recognizing each other’s political integrity. I think it’s necessary to understand whether there is such a discussion. Armenia is neither competent nor has an international obligation to acknowledge the people of Artsakh as subjects of Azerbaijan. If this intrigue is overcome (and I hope it will be overcome), then the status of NK and the self-determination of its population will remain relevant.
– How do you see the way out of the situation?
– I am not ambitious to suggest a personal way out of the idea. I can just express my private opinion on what steps I should take. To save your and the reader’s time, let me put it briefly: the war did not cancel the administrative territorial entity of NK. It is necessary to achieve its international reaffirmation, which will result in Artsakh’s legal and political status.
This is the diplomatic and legal way, but to pass it, we must first achieve radical demilitarization in and around NK. This is my idea.
