30/10/2014 20:52
S. Kocharyan: Customs point issue not discussed during talks
The issue of setting up a customs point between Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh was not discussed during talks on Armenia’s entry into the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan told journalists today.
“There is no such issue, and the agreement has no clause, under which we shall set up a customs point,” S. Kocharyan said. According to him, the issue of setting up a customs point applies to all EEU countries, but “it is our sovereign will”.
“As regards the existing customs points, this issue was examined by the member states and the commission of the Eurasian Economic Union. There are no problems or demands related to this customs point,” he noted.
When asked what President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev meant when he spoke about compromise, Shavarsh Kocharyan replied that any compromise is out the question.
“Nazarbayev raised the issue about whether Armenia would join EEU together with Karabakh or not. We confirmed our position which we adopted at the time of independence declaration. The Nagorno Karabakh Republic is not part of Armenia’s territory. We consider NKR as a de-facto established state, with which we build our relations horizontally, while not recognizing de jure due to the negotiating process. So we did not make a compromise, but we just stated the position that we reaffirm now and we continue to adhere to it,” he said.
The deputy foreign minister said that Armenia respects the Nagorno Karabakh people’s right to self-determination or free expression of will. “The Nagorno Karabakh Republic is an independent state,” he added.