Mutual concessions guarantee positive outcome of Karabakh settlement

February 8, 2010 - 19:59 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net -
In any negotiations, including Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, a positive result requires mutual concessions, Hamlet Harutyunyan MP from the parliamentary group of the Republican Party of Armenia told a news conference in Yerevan. According to MP, these compromises should not contradict to national interests of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

According to Harutyunyan, a concession on the part of Azerbaijan may be a return of Shahumyan region and a part of Martakert region. He also added that the biggest concession of the Azerbaijani side will be recognition of the NKR independence.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

The Republican Party of Armenia

The Republican Party of Armenia is a national conservative political party in Armenia. It was the first political party in independent Armenia to be founded (2 April 1990) and registered (14 May 1991). It is the largest party of the centre-right in Armenia, and claims to have 140,000 members. The party controls most government bodies in Armenia.

At the 2003 parliamentary elections on May 25, the party received 23.5% of the popular vote, winning 31 out of 131 seats. At the last parliamentary elections on May 12, 2007, the party received 33.91% of the popular vote, winning 64 out of 131 seats. The former prime minister, Andranik Markaryan, was the leader of the party. Current President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, is the chairman of HHK board.

The Republican Party's national conservative ideology is based on tsegakron, an early 20th century Armenian nationalist ideology (roughly translated as "nation-religion"). It was formulated by Garegin Njdeh and holds that the Armenian national identity and state should carry religious significance for all ethnic Armenians.