Oskanian warns Karabakh clause removed from Yerevan-Baku peace deal

PanARMENIAN.Net - A clause on Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) has been removed from a draft peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, former Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said in a video message posted on Sunday, December 10.

According to Oskanian, the so-called “peace treaty” is on the negotiating table, and it is close to signing. In all likelihood, it will be signed in the near future, he said.

“In this document in the past there was a clause that spoke about the rights and security of the people of Artsakh. This clause has been removed today,” Oskanian noted.

And if, according to him, an agreement of such content is signed, then “the page of Nagorno-Karabakh will be turned.” Oskanian believes it is not incidental that the President of Azerbaijan said that Armenians should forget about Nagorno-Karabakh.

“But this is impossible, the Armenian people can never do this. This would mean forgetting our history, our past, all our cultural heritage,” Oskanian added.

Karabakh is an Armenian land that has never been part of independent Azerbaijan. In Soviet Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh had autonomy, and in the last 30 years it was actually an independent political entity.

According to the former head of the Armenian Foreign Ministry, it is possible to return the item to the agenda now it Armenian authorities have such a desire and will.

According to a document signed by Yerevan and Baku on December 7, Azerbaijan will release 32 Armenian servicemen, while Armenia will release 2 Azerbaijani soldiers – one of whom was charged with murder after he killed an employee of the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine

“The Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan will continue their discussions regarding the implementation of more confidence building measures, effective in the near future and call on the international community to support their efforts that will contribute to building mutual trust between two countries and will positively impact the entire South Caucasus region,” the statement added