Heritage Party's Statement on the Trilateral Meeting in Kazan

In connection with the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents' meeting to be held in Kazan, Russia, on 24 June 2011 upon the initiative of the president of the Russian Federation, the Heritage Party hereby concludes:

1. We reject the efforts to present as negotiations the Armenia-Azerbaijan format of meetings, which are held in the absence of the legitimate authorities of the Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR), or Artsakh, as well as the attempts to impose solutions as their result. In addition, and while highly evaluating the mediators' efforts, we consider the adopted path to be not solely at an impasse, but also a process which poses new perils and leads to destabilization.

2. We assess the distortion of the format of negotiations, as a product of Azerbaijani pressure, to be a policy of altering the essence, history, and prospect for a just resolution of the Karabagh conflict, as a result of which: a) contrary to irrefutable facts, efforts are made in order to portray the aggressor Azerbaijan as a victim, to compel respect for Soviet Azerbaijan's territorial integrity—which no longer exists—and to recognize as "occupant" the Armenian side which has defended itself against genocidal massacres, a unilaterally unleashed and failed war of aggression, and continued sabotage; b) by imposing unilateral concessions upon MKR, an attempt is made toward violating its sovereignty and territorial integrity; and c) by method of deeming MKR's establishment unlawful, an objective is pursued toward carrying out what can never be achieved: MKR's forcible annexation to Azerbaijan.

3. We regard the prospect of Armenia's endorsement of a document which is designed under force or duress by Azerbaijan, and in MKR's absence, as a criminal plot that is condemned to fail against MKR, which has lawfully self-determined, decolonized, and established itself and thus is worthy of international recognition.

4. We remind and caution the Armenian president who heads for Kazan that:

- any meeting held without the presence of the legitimate representatives of MKR, or any document which is born from such a meeting, is legally null and void;

- his commitment under oath is not to foreign leaders, as the Deauville Statement implies, but rather before the entire Armenian nation;

- the respect and recognition of Artsakh's fundamental sovereignty and territorial integrity is the constitutional duty of the Armenian president, this truth cannot be a bargaining chip, and therefore MKR's right to hold direct peace talks and to be recognized must be restored;

- the maintenance of the current format of the talks, or its toleration hereafter, will mean a readiness not to recognize MKR's sovereignty and integrity, de jure and de facto alike; and

- formal participation in this conspiracy will entail his effective self-resignation from the homeland and his official duty and, in the event of such unacceptable developments, he must be prepared to legalize such resignation through the conduct of pre-term presidential elections.

23 June 2011
Yerevan