A hardline Armenian party has unveiled its intention to seek the resignation of Armenia’s foreign minister over what it views as President Serzh Sarkisian’s failed policy in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), however, said it would not present the resignation demand for Sarkisian.
Dashnaktsutyun has been in intensive discussions since the end of a pan-Armenian gathering held in Karabakh capital Stepanakert last weekend to address concerns in the Armenian society over the current state of the Karabakh negotiations.
In its final resolution, the Dashnaktsutyun-hosted conference urged Armenia not to sign the framework agreement proposed by international mediators based on principles that imply an indefinitely delayed status for Karabakh. It also called on official Yerevan to pave the way for Stepanakert’s return to the negotiations as a full party.
After a plenary meeting in Yerevan, Dashnaktsutyun said it will stage a protest in front of the Foreign Ministry building on Thursday demanding the resignation of Edward Nalbandian.
The action will be held on the eve of President Serzh Sarkisian’s trip to Russian capital Moscow where he is due to hold another round of talks over the longstanding dispute with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliev.
“Our problem is that if a leadership change implies the coming of several figures of the [Armenian National] Congress to power, then we have no guarantee that these forces will not conduct an even more conciliatory policy than the current ones,” Dashnaktsutyun’s senior member and chief foreign policy spokesman Giro Manoyan said to RFE/RL explaining reasons why his party is not presenting the demand for President Sarkisian’s resignation.
At the same time, Manoyan warned that if applied, a document on the Karabakh settlement based on the updated Madrid principles would only lead to a new war.
Yet, he said, Armenia still can redress the situation by changing its stance and can achieve “a fairer and more acceptable ultimate deal by engaging Karabakh in the negotiating format.”
“If anyone is to change the foreign minister, it must be the president. If he does so, it will mean he is changing his policy,” said Manoyan, without elaborating on Dashnaktsutyun’s further action if Sarkisian ignores its demand.
In its final resolution, the Dashnaktsutyun-hosted conference urged Armenia not to sign the framework agreement proposed by international mediators based on principles that imply an indefinitely delayed status for Karabakh. It also called on official Yerevan to pave the way for Stepanakert’s return to the negotiations as a full party.
After a plenary meeting in Yerevan, Dashnaktsutyun said it will stage a protest in front of the Foreign Ministry building on Thursday demanding the resignation of Edward Nalbandian.
The action will be held on the eve of President Serzh Sarkisian’s trip to Russian capital Moscow where he is due to hold another round of talks over the longstanding dispute with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliev.
“Our problem is that if a leadership change implies the coming of several figures of the [Armenian National] Congress to power, then we have no guarantee that these forces will not conduct an even more conciliatory policy than the current ones,” Dashnaktsutyun’s senior member and chief foreign policy spokesman Giro Manoyan said to RFE/RL explaining reasons why his party is not presenting the demand for President Sarkisian’s resignation.
At the same time, Manoyan warned that if applied, a document on the Karabakh settlement based on the updated Madrid principles would only lead to a new war.
Yet, he said, Armenia still can redress the situation by changing its stance and can achieve “a fairer and more acceptable ultimate deal by engaging Karabakh in the negotiating format.”
“If anyone is to change the foreign minister, it must be the president. If he does so, it will mean he is changing his policy,” said Manoyan, without elaborating on Dashnaktsutyun’s further action if Sarkisian ignores its demand.