Separatist minister says Baku-proposed UN debates confuse Karabakh talks

Arminfo, Yerevan
25 Nov 04

Stepanakert, 25 November: The foreign minister of the Nagornyy
Karabakh Republic [NKR], Ashot Gulyan, has described the initiation by
Azerbaijan of UN discussions on the issue of the so-called “occupied
territories” as an attempt to disorientate the Nagornyy Karabakh
settlement process. He said this at a plenary session of the NKR
National Assembly while commenting on the state of the Karabakh
settlement at the request of deputies.

Arminfo’s own correspondent reports from Stepanakert that the NKR
foreign minister pointed out that neither the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmen, nor the countries interested in settling the conflict
approve of Baku’s actions. The minister expressed the opinion that
the discussions which started on 23 November had been postponed at
the initiative of Azerbaijan itself since the Baku government had
doubts about whether it would be possible to gain a sufficient number
of votes to adopt a resolution.

Asked about the participation of the Karabakh side in the negotiations,
Ashot Gulyan pointed out that the negotiating process has no
point without Nagornyy Karabakh. “The co-chairmen have made that
clear. However, the matter is that the negotiating process does not
exist today as such, there are only consultations on the Karabakh
problem,” Ashot Gulyan said.