Karabakh solution depends on conflicting parties – OSCE mediators
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
14 Jul 04
The OSCE’s mediators on Nagornyy Karabakh have said that resolution of
the conflict depends on the sides’ political will. Addressing a press
conference in Yerevan on 14 July, US mediator Steven Mann said that
no-one could propose a magic solution: “The solution to the problem
will require compromises from the conflicting parties and they will
have to define those themselves.” Russian mediator Yuriy Merzlyakov
said that the OSCE team had travelled to Karabakh from Armenia, rather
than from Azerbaijan, because the last time they had travelled from
the Azeri side an Azerbaijani soldier had been wounded by a landmine.
The following is the text of a report by Armenian Public TV on 14
July:
[Presenter] The OSCE Minsk Group has described as unreasonable
statements that the negotiations on the settlement of the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict have reached deadlock. The US co-chairman of the
OSCE Minsk Group, Steven Mann, said that the settlement of the
conflict mainly depends on the conflicting sides’ political
will. No-one, not even the international mediators, can propose any
magic solution to the conflict. The solution of the conflict will
demand compromises from the conflicting sides and they themselves will
have to define the level of the complexity of these compromises,
Steven Mann said.
[Correspondent over video of news conference] Such a difficult problem
as the Karabakh conflict cannot be solved in two or three
meetings. The negotiations need time, the French co-chairman of the
OSCE Minsk Group, Henry Jacolin, said, asked when they will put
forward new proposals.
[Henry Jacolin captioned, in English with Armenian voice-over] Now
there is a new situation. The new president has been elected in
Azerbaijan. The two presidents [Robert Kocharyan and Ilham Aliyev]
must get to know each other. This requires time.
[US co-chair Steven Mann, captioned, in English with Armenian
voice-over] This is a process and we cannot stop after each step and
assess it. The question that is asked repeatedly is does the Minsk
Group have a new proposal? I can say that the solution of the conflict
depends on the sides. I do not think that the Minsk Group itself must
suggest a new proposal.
[Russian co-chair Yuriy Merzlyakov, captioned, in Russian with
Armenian voice-over] The co-chairmen consider that it is impossible to
miss the opportunity and the problem must be solved now. The new
presidents have been elected, the new agenda of the negotiations is
being discussed and we think that we must act right now.
[Correspondent ] Armenia and Azerbaijan should decide themselves the
issue of the involvement of the Nagornyy Karabakh side in the
negotiations. The conflicting sides themselves bear responsibility for
the resolution of the conflict, the US co-chairman of the Minsk Group,
Steven Mann noted.
[Steven Mann] The resolution of the conflict depends on the existence
of the conflicting parties’ political will. No-one, including
international mediators, can propose any magic solution to the
conflict. A solution to the problem will require compromises from the
conflicting parties and they will have to define those themselves. We
do not know what compromises they should be.
[Correspondent] Asked why they preferred to travel to Nagornyy
Karabakh via Armenia, Mr Merzlyakov said that the co-chairmen do not
want to be responsible for possible unpleasant incidents.
[Yuriy Merzlyakov] They also asked in Azerbaijan why we did not go to
Karabakh via Azerbaijan. The answer is clear, as a rule, we choose the
route that is possible. Unfortunately, last time that we crossed via
Azerbaijan, the security measures which were arranged ended with an
unfortunate result. When we crossed via the Azerbaijani side, an
Azerbaijani soldier lost his leg in the security zone and the
mediators do not want to bear responsibility for similar incidents.
[Correspondent] Mr Merzlyakov denied information disseminated in
Azerbaijani newspapers that he had said in Baku that the Armenian
forces’ withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territories must be one of the
main subjects of the negotiations.
[Yuriy Merzlyakov] I did not and could not make such a
statement. Somebody has got something confused.
[Correspondent] The Minsk Group has not been able to suggest a
solution to the conflict so far.
[Henry Jacolin] The two countries [Azerbaijan and Armenia] did not use
the assistance which the OSCE is suggesting for the solution of the
problem.
[Correspondent] Jacolin hoped that it will be possible to achieve
something soon.
Tatevik Nalbandyan, “Aylur”.