“There are new recommendations on the negotiation table. The Madrid principles are presently on the negotiating table. They served as a basis for new proposals made in Saint Petersburg, and Azerbaijan has to say if it accepts them or not. If Azerbaijan says: ‘We accept the principles submitted by the OSCE Minsk Group, the negotiations will go on. If not, other ways will be found. Yes, the negotiations are going on. The latest proposals were made in Saint Petersburg. We say the document affords an opportunity for further negotiations. Let us see what Azerbaijan says,” President Sargsyan said to the young people at a summer camp of the youth organization Miasin (Together). The young people from the Armenian Diaspora arrived in Armenia within the framework of “Come home” program of the Ministry of Diaspora. Yes, the negotiations are going on. The latest proposals were made in Saint Petersburg. We say the document affords an opportunity for further negotiations. Let us see what Azerbaijan says,” President Sargsyan said by recalling that the regulation of the conflict should be based on three principles – territorial integrity, right to self-determination and nonuse of force. Also, none of the principles must be considered superior to the others. “I want us, and I consider myself to be one of you, to be great proponents of learning. I want us be able with our own example to prove that in our society a knowledgeable person is in great demand. Today, we need many young people who possess knowledge and can work in the state governance system,” said Serzh Sargsyan and expressed readiness to assist all worthy initiatives of the young people. Serzh Sargsyan stated the management of Azerbaijan may confuse the desire with reality but this is “wasting of time and we don’t wish to waste time on activities that won’t bring us any use.” As a matter of fact this is the first public speech of Serzh Sargsyan regarding the NKR conflict after the activation of the NKR conflict resolution and publication of various statements on that. And so with only one statement Sargsyan for the first time again he stated about the change of Armenia’s attitude without opening the parentheses. “If not then other ways will be found,” he stated. And this happens in the case when in the past the Armenian government would give peaceful and neutral response to the bellicose statements of Azerbaijan. Armenia would claim the necessity of peaceful resolution of the conflict with standard formulations. Does this mean that by the statement Sargsyan once again asserts the possibility of the resumption of war? The upcoming time will show the further developments regarding the process. It is also not excluded that this statement has merely a propaganda meaning. The oddest thing, however, is that Sargsyan makes such an important statement not in front of the interested representatives of the society and thinks tanks or experts, civic sector organizations but in front of career-seeking and Diaspora youth. It is interesting if God forbid one day a war breaks up will these young people with nice shirt collars, vacationers at the expense of the fatherland be the ones to protect their country?
