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On February 14 the RA National Assembly Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov met the German journalists Richard Kiesler and Knut Teske, who had arrived in Armenia to get acquainted with the position of the Armenian side on the solution of the NKR problem, the reasons of the conflict and the possible versions of their solution, the social-economic and political situation of the country.

Mr Sharmazanov has expressed satisfaction that the European journalists have personally visited the region, unlike the others, who make judgments about unknown things, to understand the existing problems and covering them. He has expressed hope that after visiting Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh they will have a complete picture about the NKR problem, its reasons and possible solutions, as in Armenia, and in Artsakh they are ready to have open and healthy discussions, express sincere positions. And only honoured journalists should show responsibility, presenting the facts fair and unbiased.

The German journalists said that last year they were in Azerbaijan, now they are in Armenia, and the next day they will leave for Nagorno Karabakh to have a complete picture about the existing situation. They write for well-known German newspapers and post on Internet forums. And all this for the purpose the Germans will understand why the NK problem is difficult to solve. According to their assessment, the importance of this region for Europe is big, and the conflict situation is fraught with danger. At the same time they understand that Armenia has “difficult” neighbours, but they think the positions of the conflicting sides may be approached, sow mutual confidence through economic cooperation. According to them, the Azerbaijanis have expressed for the economic cooperation.

As to Mr Sharmazanov, the contradiction of the word and work, as always, is characteristic to the Azerbaijani work style. They “play politics,” whereas he will speak with facts. According to the Deputy Speaker, the Europeans must know very well that tolerance is an important component of democracy. Is it possible to cooperate with a head of a country, who is for racism, swaggers that will occupy Artsakh through military? Armenia, being for the solution of the issue through peaceful negotiations, proposes to solve the problem through compromise.

There must be elementary mutual confidence for cooperation, whereas when the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan proposed to abstain from solving the problem through military and take back the snipers, they refused. What kind of cooperation we should talk about, when the snipers shoot the soldiers and civilians during the day. Despite all this, Armenia continues to remain proponent of the settlement of the issue through peaceful means.

Mr Sharmazanov presented the history of forcibly annexing Karabakh to Azerbaijan, the process of independence gained on the basis of the principle of self-determination internationally adopted through referendum, then the procedure of democratization. “In legal aspect Karabakh has all the bases to be internationally recognized,” the NA Deputy Speaker added.

In response to the German journalists’ question what should be done if Azerbaijan does not recognize the independence of Karabakh, Mr Sharmazanov said: “Nothing, Karabakh has gained its independence: not Azerbaijan should recognize the independence of Karabakh, but the international community, what they has done in a number of cases.

The NA Deputy Speaker, replying the journalists, also refused the Azerbaijani false and groundless comments on having religious bases of the Karabakh problem, saying that not only Armenia has friendly relations with numerous Muslim countries, our compatriots closely cooperate in the Armenian Diaspora of numerous Muslim countries, moreover, they have been integrated in the civil society of those countries.

In the course of the meeting issues relating to the Armenian-Turkish relations, Armenian Genocide and its recognition have also been discussed.

The German journalists thanked Mr Sharmazanov for sincerity, and the latter ensured that after visiting Nagorno Karabakh their understanding on the problem would be complete. “In that newly independent country you will see a mature generation, which has free way of thinking: has not seen the Azerbaijani power and doesn’t want to know about it. They always look forward and move forward,” Eduard Sharmazanov noted.