February 19, 2004 - 18:56 AMT
KARABAKH FOREIGN MINISTRY SPEAKS OF "RATHER FREE INTERPRETATION" OF NKR PRESIDENT'S WORDS BY EP RAPPORTEUR
European Parliament (EP) rapporteur for South Caucasus Per Gahrton has interpreted the words of Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) President Arkady Ghukasian "rather freely," NKR foreign minister Ashot Gulian stated when commenting on P. Gahrton's recent report to Liberty radio station on possible concessions by the Karabakh party. As reported by Arminfo agency, A. Gulian specified that in the course of a recent meeting with the EP rapporteur, the NKR President in particular said, "Nagorno Karabakh should become a subject of international law without fail. Stepanakert's concession can only be the following: under certain conditions NKR will agree to some limitations of its status as a subject of law, which e.g. may entail its membership in all international structures being not obligatory." Thus, Karabakh can be represented in the UN as an observer, A. Gulian said. "During the meeting the NKR President especially emphasized the inadmissibility of administrative subordination of Nagorno Karabakh to Azerbaijan. By the way, it was also noted by P. Gahrton," the NKR foreign minister stated.