"It is necessary to negotiate with Baku on Nagorno-Karabakh's autonomy" - Samvel Babayan
Samvel Babayan’s autonomy proposal
Samvel Babayan, former Secretary of the Security Council of the former NKR, sees an opportunity for Karabakh Armenians to return to their homeland and homes. For this purpose, according to him, it is necessary to recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, obtain passports and discuss the issue of autonomy within that country.
He believes that the leadership and political forces that have contacts with Azerbaijan should offer Baku solutions within the framework of autonomy.
“If they agree, the authorities of Armenia will be informed and real negotiations will continue,” he said in an interview with Azatutyun (Liberty) radio station.
According to Babayan, at the moment there is an “easy process” of communication with the Azerbaijani side, he means informal contacts. But he did not specify whether he himself is involved in this process or the leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh.
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Is Azerbaijan ready to grant autonomy?
Babayan disagrees with the statement that Baku will not consider the possibility of granting autonomy status to NK. He refers to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s statement that the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh should habituate themselves within the framework of the country’s constitution.
“There are two points within their constitution. One is minority rights and the second is an autonomous republic, of which Nakhichevan is an example. We tell them that we have found ourselves within the framework of the autonomous republic.”
He believes that the Armenian side should make this offer to both Baku and the international community so that “the issue of revenge does not arise.”
“We’ve made an offer, we’ll see what they say”
Babayan said that proposals have been submitted to the Azerbaijani side and answers are expected:
“Elections are [expected] in Azerbaijan, after they are over, we will talk about it; [now] we will not go deeper.
He hopes that after the presidential elections in Azerbaijan there will be some progress, there will be contacts between official Baku and Armenian representatives of MK. At the same time, he did not specify who will be the initiator of these contacts. He only noted that this decision will be made after discussions with political forces and NK leadership.
“If we don’t solve the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, there will be revenge”
Samvel Babayan does not agree that after the exodus of Armenians the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh no longer exists:
“It is important to understand whether Baku will accept the offer of an autonomous state or is ready for the enmity between the two countries to continue and the forces interested in the region to lead them to revenge. If you want, we will write it in the peace treaty, if you want, we will write it on the wall, but if we do not solve the Karabakh issue, there will be revenge”.
“The decree on the dissolution of Artsakh is invalid”
According to Babayan, the decree signed by Samvel Shahramanyan on the dissolution of the NKR is not in effect because it has not been published:
“Have you seen the decree? The Artsakh constitution says that the presidential decree comes into force from the moment of its publication. It was not published, that’s all. So we are discussing something that no one has seen, that doesn’t exist.”
Babayan believes that these discussions do not give anything to the Armenian side. He advises not to enter “the field of these discussions for the sake of the Republic of Armenia and peace.”
“There is no need to give a reason to blame the Karabakhis for the failure of signing the peace agreement. They say they are ready to sign the agreement without Karabakh, let them sign it. If it will bring peace to Armenia, sign it.”
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Samvel Babayan’s autonomy proposal
