In an interview given to the Russian Moskovskiye Novosti newspaper president Serzh Sargsyan did not exclude the possibility of war.
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Soviet Union series of articles have been taken from the heads of former states. “You are the third president of Armenia. What has Armenia succeeded in the past 20 years and what failures were there?” In answer to this question president Sargsyan said, “In our country the biggest achievement is the stability. There were hard times. In parallel with transforming from planned economy to market economy we also had to provide security for our society. Azerbaijan started the war, Turkey was supporting them, there was a civic war in Georgia and in these conditions it was very difficult to provide food and products for the society. We had a lot of problems in the sector of energy. It was horrible also after the earthquake, when hundreds of thousands people were without shelters, there were refugees, 500 thousand people came to Armenia not to be killed… Leaders always like to criticize their predecessors. As it is said, everyone thinks he is a good at strategy when he looks at the war from aside. I am the leader of the country since 2008 and I have always tried not to do so. To criticize predecessors means to put the responsibility on others and escape from your own responsibility. It is not the right way. I am grateful to my predecessors and those who have done something good for the country.” In answer to question how he imagines the ideal solution of Karabakh conflict problem Serzh Sargsyan said, “The problem can be solved only through a compromise. During all these years we have tried to find compromises. But there is a red line and the people of Karabakh are the ones to decide their future and have all the opportunities to develop in secure conditions in their historical homeland.” According to Serzh Sargsyam, the OSCE Minsk group that is in charge of the settlement of Karabakh conflict has offered the principles of Madrid, according to which the conflict should be solved according to three principles such as exclusion of power use and power threat, territorial integrity and the right of self-determination of nations. According to Sargsyan, this document enables to work on the big document of peace: “We clearly understand what those principles mean. The Azeris have said yes to it after thinking for a long time but nobody knows why they are interpreting those principles differently. Till now the Azeri authorities have been threatening at different levels to start a war. This is a violation of the first principle. We understand the principles of territorial integrity, but it seems that the Azeris have made it dogma and understand it out of the principles of the international law. As for the principle of self-determination, they understand it as self-determination within the territory of Azerbaijan. There is no self-determination like that; as far as Azerbaijan has not understood the meaning of that principle it will be very hard to move to that direction. Karabakh has achieved its peace as a result of bloody and cruel war, in very difficult conditions, and it is naïve to think that the Krabakhi people may give up on what they have reached,” said Serzh Sargsyan. “You know that the OSCE Minsk Group is handling that issue, the Russian president Medvedev is making a lot of efforts, for which we are very grateful,” said Serzh Sargsyan. According to Serzh Sargsyan, the principle of territorial integrity does not mean indestructibility of borders. “Otherwise there would not be new countries in the world. During the past 20-30 years many countries have appeared on the world map,” said the president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan. In answer to question why Armenia does not recognize Karabakh’s independence Serzh Sargsyan said that as far as the negotiations are in process the recognition will fail those negotiations. “Anyway it is better to negotiate,” said the president. In answer to question whether the recent establishment of two states in South Caucasus will influence on the issue of Karabakh Serzh Sargsyan said, “Generally conflicts are specific and every conflict has specific characteristics, the reasons and results, as well as the development dynamics. As a precedent, of course the establishment of new states in the world has a positive influence the international perception of the right of the Karabakhi people. The question is not whether we recognize the independence of Kosovo, South Sudan, Abkhazia or South Ossetia but the fact that the international community accepts with different contexts the fact that in case of presence of certain conditions separation is a form of exercising the right for self-determination.”
In answer to question whether it will be possible to make efforts make the issue of the Genocide to stop being an obstacle in the Armenian-Turkish relations after the 100th commemoration of the Genocide of 1915 the president said that there may be rapprochement between Armenia and Turkey only after Turkey recognizes the Armenian Genocide: “There cannot be rapprochement without recognition. Those who are trying to represent the attempts to develop relations with Turkey as rapprochement are mistaken.” In answer to question whether it is possible to have economic growth without solving geopolitical problems and developing relations with Turkey Serzh Sargsyan said that this question does not have a precise answer. “If the answer is no, how have we been developing the past 20 years? If yes, why is not the development process fast? Of course we will not starve without developing relations with Turkey. However, I have said for many times that we don’t consider the economic aspect as a main motivation of relations with Turkey. Napoleon said that the geography of a country makes its history. Geography is a destiny… We are living here and must have certain relations with neighbors. Of course not by all means, no. When we were starting the process of developing relations with Turkey many critics said it would be an obstacle for the process of recognizing the Genocide worldwide. Thanks to God such opinions did not come true. The fact of the Genocide is not disputable and we must make efforts for the purpose of the recognition on part of Turkey. This is a struggle for justice and security,” said Serzh Sargsyan.