Russia’s former Karabakh mediator says delays in talks hurt peace process

Trend news agency
9 Mar 05

Baku, 9 March: Time is neither on Armenia’s nor on Azerbaijan’s side
in the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, the former Russian co-chairman of
the OSCE Minsk Group, Nikolay Gribkov, has told Trend commenting on
the current status of the negotiations.

Gribkov said that the loss of time in negotiations distances the
sides from peace and exacerbates the problem.

“Since the conflict has not been resolved, Armenia has been sidelined
from the region’s economic development. As far as Azerbaijan is
concerned, it has 1m refugees and its lands are under occupation,”
Gribkov said.

The Russian diplomat is concerned that new generations are growing
up in both countries that consider each other an enemy.

He said the co-chairmen have to lean on “public opinion in their
future work and for that the authorities and the opposition in both
countries have to unite”.

“It is up to the sides themselves to solve the problem. This reality
is observed in the latest negotiations as well,” he said.

Touching on the latest series of talks, Gribkov said with some regret
that the parties to the conflict are not making any compromise.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress