Kocharyan says peace deal needs guarantees

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia’s second president and Hayastan alliance prime ministerial candidate Robert Kocharyan said a peace agreement cannot exist without a system of guarantees, responding to journalists in Vayk about how negotiations would proceed if his political force came to power.

“We are not going to start from zero. Today, there is no final peace treaty, there is a pre-signed document. We never said we would come to power and tear up that pre-signed document and throw it into the trash. So we are not starting from zero,” Kocharyan said.

“We have said it was a mistake to sign it under these conditions, but since the document exists, we must supplement it with at least one or two annexes aimed at creating guarantees. This means we would strengthen it and introduce a guarantee system so that peace becomes lasting, stable and guaranteed,” he added.

Regarding the guarantee system, Kocharyan said the United Nations Security Council should first issue a statement clearly defining the consequences for any side violating the agreement.

Kocharyan also argued that guarantor states should be involved in the process. In his view, it would be advisable for both the United States and Russia to serve as guarantors in order to balance interests.

He further stated that participation by the European Union would be desirable, while describing a U.S.-Russia-China format as the ideal option.

Kocharyan expressed confidence that the absence of such a system stems from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev not seeing the need for it, while the Armenian side, according to him, does not even raise the issue.

The election campaign that began on May 8 will continue until June 5. June 6 will be observed as a day of silence, while elections will take place on June 7.