Galust Sahakyan: ‘For the regulation of the NK issue, it is necessary to involve Artsakh as a negotiating party’

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS: For the regulation of the Nagorno Karabakh issue, it is necessary to involve Artsakh as a negotiating party, according to Galust Sahakyan, head of RA NA Armenian Republican Party faction, deputy chairman of ARP. He said today at a meeting with journalists that there is no foreign pressure on the Armenian authorities in the process of settlement of the NK issue.

‘We have not changed our position,’ Galust Sahakyan said. He added that first of all, the issue of the NK’s status must be solved; ‘it cannot be a part of Azerbaijan’. ‘We see the problems not in the overcoming of consequences, but in elimination of reasons. That is why the NK cannot be a part of Azerbaijan,’ the NA deputy said.

As to the Azerbaijani Foreign minister Elmar Mamedyarov’s statement, according to which the OSCE summit, expected to be held in Astana, will be a turning point in the regulation of the Nagorno Karabakh issue, Galust Sahakyan said sensational statements are common phenomena before each meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. ‘They always say that war is expected, and this time they say that the issue will be settled in Astana,’ Galust Sahakyan noted.

As to the recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic by Armenia, the speaker said that the issue will be back to the NA agenda only in case all the diplomatic tools are used and war-like situation is caused.