“I don’t expect any progress from meeting in Saint Petersburg” (video)
On June 20 Serzh Sargsyan-Ilham Aliyev meeting will take place in Saint Petersburg with the mediation of Russia. The NA Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) faction lawmaker, Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Artak Zakaryan thinks the core of that meeting for the Armenian side will be the chance to realize the agreements reached in Vienna. “Everything will depend on the behavior of Azerbaijan. The Armenian side has always welcomed the meetings, especially high level meetings. We hope that under this important mission of the RF President, it will be possible to make Azerbaijan take into account the simple reality that the NKR issue has no military solution,” noted Artak Zakaryan. He says that the most realistic model of keeping the Karabakh issue away from the military solution is the implementation of the investigative mechanisms. “It will allow the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to make addressed statements and which will be a restraining factor for the Azerbaijan’s actions for limiting military aggression,” said the lawmaker, at the same time adding that the meeting in Saint Petersburg cannot be called a negotiation, as there is nothing to negotiate, but only simple reality. “We must have a sustainable and guaranteed ceasefire on the Karabakh-Azerbaijani border,” he highlighted. Vagharshak Harutyunyan, Former Defense Minister of Armenia, stated that during this conflict the Azerbaijan displayed itself as a state, which isn’t responsible for its actions. “Azerbaijan’s tactics derive from the current situation; it doesn’t want to make any concessions, the negotiations aren’t a way for it,” said Mr Harutyunyan. The latter is also sure that Azerbaijan cannot resolve the conflict through war. “Azerbaijan is afraid of starting a large-scale war, as the combat readiness of our army doesn’t let it start a war and gain a victory,” he highlighted. According to Vagharshak Harutyunyan, under the threat of the resumption of the war, Azerbaijan wants to make the Armenian side make concessions. “The Armenian side has brought forward right preconditions that today there cannot be any negotiation and the return of any territory is out of question today. I don’t expect any progress in Saint Petersburg, simply pressure must be put on Azerbaijan, so that it agrees with the implementation of the investigative mechanisms. If we take into account any conflict, they aren’t resolved for 70 or 100 years. The only way is to have strong army and economy, which will ensure also military power,” summed up Former Defense Minister.
