Russia’s former Karabakh mediator stands for “multi-stage” solution – agency

MPA news agency
26 Oct 04

Baku, 26 October: Ambassador Vladimir Kazimirov, the former Russian
co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, is surprised at the “time-out”
taken in the Nagornyy Karabakh negotiations, because he believes that
the pace of the talks does not reflect the importance Azerbaijani and
Armenian attach to the solution of the conflict, MPA quoted Kazimirov
as telling the Regnum news agency.

“The time-out must be particularly alarming for Azerbaijan because it
has lost something in the military action. Baku insists that Karabakh
continues to be problem number one but when it comes to action,
it becomes passive,” Kazimirov said.

He has identified five possible scenarios for further developments:
the resumption of hostilities, the preservation of the status quo,
a package solution and two stage-by-stage solution alternatives.

The Russian diplomat believes the first three are hopeless and
perilous. Kazimirov described as attractive the “multi-stage” solution
which envisages the discussion on the whole range of issues “without
confining the talks to two key issues – the status for Nagornyy
Karabakh and the liberation of the territories outside it”. In the
meantime, the parties to the conflict could gradually attend to a
number of small but important issues which are currently blocked by
the dispute over the status and territories, he said.

The multi-stage alternative, Kazimirov says, envisages regular and
intense negotiations in four directions. The most important issue
is to strengthen the cease-fire and make it impossible to resume
hostilities even in five-10 years from now. The second direction is
the status. Kazimirov thinks that a compromise decision might be taken
on this issue. For example, all the parties involved could regard the
regime in Nagornyy Karabakh as temporary. “Then they could continue the
talks for the status, but a final agreement will not quick,” he said.

Kazimirov vigorously opposes the Armenian definition of the “liberated
territories”. The Russian diplomat thinks that “even if the Armenians
were historically right in some respects, modern issues must not be
resolved with the use of old maps. Then, for example, the Crimea
would have to be returned to the Greek – not to the Ukrainians,
Russians or Turks – but to the Greek”.