THE LETTER OF KAZIMIROV

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
23 Dec 04

In 1992-96 the personal representative of the Russian president on
Karabakh issue Vladimir Kazimirov sent a letter to the PACE reporter on
the Karabakh issue David Atkinson and expressed his indignation with
the emphasized pro-Azerbaijani nature of the report. Particularly,
according to Kazimirov, in Atkinsonâ~@~Y s report, the achievement of
the ceasefire on May 12, 1994 is ascribed to the OSCE Minsk Group and
the personal representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office, whereas
the ceasefire in Karabakh was maintained owing to the Russiaâ~@~Ys
mediation, and the Minsk Group was founded in December 1994, and
the post of personal representative was created years after the
ceasefire. â~@~The most important international documents on Karabakh
resolution were prepared on a balanced basis in order to facilitate
making compromises for the parties. None of these were so much biased
towards Azerbaijan as your project,â~@~] writes Kazimirov. The former
mediator in the Karabakh issue, who is well acquainted with the
Karabakh conflict detail by detail and during his office visited the
region 47 times, reminds Atkinson that in his and Davisâ~@~Ys reports
the prehistory of the conflict, the military actions in 1992-94, the
process of resolution were paid little attention. â~@~Many problems
connected with the Karabakh conflict occurred by the fault of the
conflict parties, whereas in your project only the Armenian side
was blamed. I do not want to justify the Armenians at all but it is
necessary to give an unbiased assessment of all the parties. Moreover,
it was Azerbaijan to support the settlement of the conflict by
force and to refuse the steps directed at easing tensions,â~@~]
he writes. Kazimirov emphasizes that in the UN resolutions and OSCE
documents Nagorni Karabakh is recognized as a conflict party. â~@~Only
in your resolutions is this problem evaded, Armenia and Azerbaijan are
recognized as conflict parties which favours Bakuâ~@~Ys interests.â~@~]
He also reminds that in the OSCE summit in Budapest three conflict
parties are clearly mentioned. â~@~The conflict party is Azerbaijan
and not the Azerbaijani community of Nagorni Karabakh. There are
no differences in the positions of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani
community of Karabakh,â~@~] mentions Kazimirov and blames Atkinson for
stressing the importance of the Azerbaijani community of Karabakh in
the report. â~@~Is it possible to say â~@~the British community of
Londonâ~@~], â~@~the Azerbaijani community of Bakuâ~@~], â~@~the
Russian community of Moscowâ~@~]?â~@~] Kazimirov is surprised that
the Davis-Atkinson report makes reference to the four resolutions
of the OSCE Council for Security but only the demand of withdrawal
of Armenian forces is stressed. â~@~Before May 1994, that is for
more than a year (after the first resolution of the UN Council for
Security â~@~S ed.), the Azerbaijani authorities who neglected the
main requirements of the four resolutions and betted on the settlement
of the conflict through force, have broken the ceasefire for a number
of times. Azerbaijan accepted the ceasefire not because it honoured
the resolutions of the UN Council for Security but because of their
utter defeat in the war and the threat of losing power. The problems
of Armenians were also enough but Armenians were more flexible and
constructive,â~@~] notices Kazimirov and adds, â~@~For the occupation
of territories and the growth of the number of refugees not only
Armenia and Nagorni Karabakh but also Azerbaijan is to blame.â~@~]
The former Russian diplomat admits that Armenians do not withdraw
their forces and insist on the package resolution. But â~@~in fact,
the Azerbaijani government did not honour any requirement of the four
resolutions of the UN Council for Security.â~@~] â~@~And it does not
honour presently either. Moreover, it demands that Turkey maintain
the blockade of Armenia, regularly threatens to settle the conflict
through force, encourages the anti-Armenian hysteria in Azerbaijan
but there is not a word on this (in the Atkinsonâ~@~Ys report â~@~S
ed.).â~@~] In the end Kazimirov reminds that Armenians control 5
regions completely and 2 partially and not 8 regions as Atkinson
mentions. The former Russian diplomat mentions that Azerbaijan has
also occupied Armenian territories, such as Artsvashen. At the end of
the letter Kazimirov states that such an authoritative organization
as the PACE might have a balanced approach to the Karabakh conflict.

AA. 23-12-2004

–Boundary_(ID_zjnqydXgIorYwwpb46yzIQ)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress