Vazgen Sargsyan Was Aware of Everything: Kocharyan

The entire negotiation process up until 1999 had the following content, the co-chairs could not move out of the territorial integrity. Whatever proposal they brought, they tried to marry the right to self-determination with territorial integrity. Such a proposal had also been made during Levon Ter-Petrosyan's time. This was stated by Robert Kocharyan at a press conference.

“What was the proposal of the overall state? A self-determined Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan were to create a joint state in the form of an asymmetric confederation, but there was always an attempt to marry these two principles. In Washington, Aliyev told me, let’s tear ourselves apart, separate within that proposal, and I saw primarily this part. I thought that if Aliyev brought this question before the co-chairs, then we would get out of this entrenched situation. Yes, we were negotiating, he proposed this to us, I said we cannot lose the border with Iran, the process was beneficial for us. But from the very first day, I did not doubt that these discussions would yield an acceptable variant for us. I was convinced of this because during that time Aliyev was receiving six regions, he had motivation because he had something to gain. This was the entirety of our logic.

No proposals were made by the U.S.; the entire negotiation process was as follows, we were giving proposals on behalf of the Minsk Group. Aliyev had told the American side about our negotiation process, and the American delegation came to Armenia to understand whether it was really so or not, and whether our bilateral perceptions are the same or not; there was no proposal on our table that we could say we accept or not. The only proposal that lasted for those two years from the co-chairs of the Minsk Group was in Kyi West; no other proposal was made in writing. It was very important for me that Aliyev himself told about this approach, the topic was opened by him. I neither said yes nor no; I was very cautious that the topic continues without obligations.

I learned from the documents that Turkey had a role in this matter, Turkey did not appear at all. Yes, I was in Moscow before the American delegation arrived in Yerevan; I was supposed to meet with Yeltsin. The meeting lasted five minutes; Yeltsin was unwell, and he told me that he had a conversation with Aliyev, and he is very pleased with your negotiations. I asked if you are aware of the details, and he said no. Vazgen Sargsyan was aware of everything; no solution could be implemented without Vazgen Sargsyan. Why has this topic heated up now? There is a question of a corridor or a road, today the Armenian authorities have a desire to make that concession and say, well, what connection do I have? If this had not been discussed at that time, this topic would not exist,” Kocharyan said.