Davit Babayan: Peacekeepers may be deployed in the lines of internationally recognized borders of NKR and Azerbaijan

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, ARMENPRESS:

The deployment of peacekeeping forces in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone is possible only in case of settlement of preconditions, head of the office of the central information department of the office of the NKR president Davit Babayan told Armenpress referring to the statement of the Azerbaijani foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov that a decision has already been made that the countries cannot carry out peacekeeping mission in the NK conflict zone.

"As an idea we do not have an accentuated negative position over deployment of peacekeeping forces. If necessary let them be deployed but there are a number of preconditions that must be met, without it, it will be impossible to speak about such scenario", Babayan said.

According to him, before the deployment of peacekeeping forces the NK conflict must be regulated in a comprehensive way. "There must not be any unsettled issue between Azerbaijan and Artsakh before the deployment of peacekeepers. Azerbaijan must recognize NKR's independence, and we the Azerbaijan's. That is to say the state borders of the two states must be internationally recognized, all the issues of the conflict settlement be solved, only after this, it may be spoken about the deployment of peacekeeping forces, across the line of internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan and NKR", he said.

At the same time, in his opinion, the deployment of peacekeepers is a symbolizing step, with it the international community may put its signature under the NK conflict settlement peace treaty.

"In other words, I do not see any necessity of deployment of peacekeepers as the Azerbaijani-Karabakhi conflict is the only one in the world where peace and stability is being maintained between the parties without mediation of third forces for 18 years. It shows that as compared with others the parties can live maintaining stability and peace without harming each other. The international community may use this experience in other regions as well. Peacekeepers are usually being deployed in the places where it is impossible to maintain peace and stability between the parties", Babayan said.