Armenian Democratic Party leader, Aram Sargsyan, today stated that the Armenian authorities have agreed, in principle, to the return of territories to Azerbaijan since that is what is assumed in the Madrid Principles. If this is not the case, Mr. Sargsyan argued, than the Armenian delegation should break off all negotiations brokered by the OSCE Minsk Group, especially after the recent bellicose statements of President Ilham Aliyev threatening the resumption of war to end what he describes as the “occupation” of Azeri lands. Mr. Sargsyan also stated that the Minsk Group Co-chairs should have officially criticized this latest outburst from the Azerbaijani President. Mr. Sargsyan also argued that official Armenian recognition of the NKR is long overdue and that we should not expect the world community to recognize the legal path taken by Karabakh to remove itself from Azerbaijani rule if Armenia itself has not done so. As a result, Mr. Sargsyan claimed that the true essence of the Karabakh conflict has been distorted by Azerbaijan and served to the international community. The Democratic Party leader stated that the party has sent an official proposal to President Sargsyan calling for the Madrid Principles to be substituted with the “Yerevan Principles” and to finally recognize the fact that the NKR has severed all ties with Azerbaijan. Mr. Sargsyan noted that Armenia must finally make its position known as to the status of Karabakh; whether it a part of Armenia or rather an independent state.