WERE KOCHARIAN’S MEETINGS WITH THE ALIYEVS POINTLESS?WERE KOCHARIAN’S
MEETINGS WITH THE ALIYEVS POINTLESS?
President Recalled that Karabakh Is a Side in Conflict
Azg/arm
16 Nov 04
President of Armenia stated at yesterday’s joint press conference with
his Estonian counterpart that he is not optimistic about the present
state of Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process. Robert
Kocharian singled out two major issues that hamper progress in talks.
“First issue is that the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh has no
representative at the talks”, Pres. Kocharian said. He thinks that
Baku wants to talk exclusively to Yerevan. That is the reason why
Armenian President has to represent Karabakh’s stance as well at the
negotiations. Kocharian claimed that this is a wrong format of talks
and does not reflect the essence of the conflict.
Secondly, Azerbaijan is reluctant to start regional cooperation before
the conflict is settled. “Regional cooperation may create a better
atmosphere for conflict settlement”, Kocharian said. “We are sure that
the necessary atmosphere for taking decisions and carrying them out
may be created only by means of cooperation”, he added.
It must be noted that Pres. Kocharian never expressed his discontent
in public over Stepanakert’s secondary role in settlement process
during last 4-5 years. Back in 2001, after Paris meeting with late
Heydar Aliyev, Pres. Kocharian said that he represents Nagorno
Karabakh’s interests at the talks. In general, official Yerevan seemed
to be content with the meetings of presidents, foreign ministers and
presidents’ personal representatives though Karabakh side was, in
fact, left out of the talk process.
Armenian foreign minister Vartan Oskanian said to Freedom radio
station on November 9: “Azerbaijan should not hope to continue the
talks within the framework of OSCE Minsk group from one side and to
represent articles grabbed out from the whole package form the other
side. Either we keep on negotiating within the Minsk group framework
trying to reach complete settlement or Azerbaijan takes the issue to
other structures trying to find solution for separate articles. In the
second case Baku will have to cooperate with Karabakh authorities”.
It turns out that Armenia is ready to resign if Baku decides to
transfer the issue to other structures. But if the issue remains
within the Minsk group frameworks then Karabakh’s participation will
be not that important. This is a conclusion drawn from Yerevan’s
approach to the conflict settlement.
During a recent Stepanakert meeting with the correspondents of London
War and Peace Institute and France-Presse, foreign minister of Nagorno
Karabakh Ashot Ghulian said that Karabakh is not actively involved in
the talks “though it paid careful heed to the process trying to make
constructive suggestions”. “For us the participation in the talks is
not an end in itself”, Ghulian said adding that by rejecting Karabakh
as an independent side in the conflict Azerbaijan tries to distort the
essence of Karabakh conflict.
The Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan stated on November 10 that Baku
will not agree to negotiate with Karabakh authorities. Earlier, Ali
Hasanov, aide on political issues at Azeri president’s administration,
said that Karabakh is not a side in the conflict and that Armenia
plays that role now.
We may suppose that Karabakh talks are in complete impasse now, and
the confronting sides can do nothing but condemn each
other. Pres. Kocharianâ=80=99s statements made yesterday make the
impression that Azerbaijan is not willing to continue from the Key
West agreements reached by Kocharian and Heydar Aliyev and according
to which Karabakh should join with Armenia via Lachin corridor, and
Armenia should provide a way for Azerbaijan-Nakhichevan overland
connection.
Robert Kocharian noted yesterday that there were situations “when we
were so close to finding a solution”. Kocharian stated that the OSCE
Minsk group co-chairmanship remains the most acceptable and most
optimal format for conflict settlement. “Minsk group is doing
everything for the sides to find a solution. We may say that the
problem today is between the confronting sides and not the mediators”,
Kocharian said and added that Minsk group has no mandate to impose
peace on either sides.
After his tête-à -tête with Kocharian, Estonian President Arnold
Rüütel said that Estonia is ready to help Armenia in every issue. He
said that Estonia’s membership in EU opened new perspective for
developing relations with Armenia.
This was the first visit of an Estonian president to Armenia since the
independence. Robert Kocharian was in Tallinn during his Baltic visit
in 2002.
By Tatoul Hakobian