"I want to remind the Azerbaijani leadership, that 16 years ago, they asked to sign a cease-fire agreement. I don't treat seriously the statement of Ilham Aliyev in an interview with Euronews that Azerbaijan may agree to a military solution of the conflict, " Edward Sharmazanov secretary of the parliamentary group of Republican Party of Armenia told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. According to Sharmazanov, belligerent statements of Azerbaijani President is not serious since they are followed by his calls to peaceful conflict resolution. "Armenia has always been for a peaceful solution to the conflict, but we proceed from the philosophy "if you want peace, prepare to war, " Sharmazanov said.
He also reminded to Aliyev that Nagorno Karabakh has been occupied by Azerbaijan during the Soviet era and achieved its independence in the national liberation struggle.
Sharmazanov stressed that current bellicose statements by Aliyev are more directed to himself. " Ilham Aliyev must forget, that NKR might be part of Azerbaijan and start handling its internal problems, which are innumerous,"MP said.
The Republican Party of Armenia is a national conservative political party in Armenia. It was the first political party in independent Armenia to be founded (2 April 1990) and registered (14 May 1991). It is the largest party of the centre-right in Armenia, and claims to have 140,000 members. The party controls most government bodies in Armenia.
At the 2003 parliamentary elections on May 25, the party received 23.5% of the popular vote, winning 31 out of 131 seats. At the last parliamentary elections on May 12, 2007, the party received 33.91% of the popular vote, winning 64 out of 131 seats. The former prime minister, Andranik Markaryan, was the leader of the party. Current President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, is the chairman of RPA board.
The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out in 1988 as result of the ethnic cleansing the latter launched in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 to 1994. Since the ceasefire in 1994, sealed by Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan, most of Nagorno Karabakh and several regions of Azerbaijan around it (the security zone) remain under the control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.
