The National Assembly to develop its own concept
By Karine Mangassarian
Yerkir/arm
11 March 05
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Relations is
planning to organize a series of parliamentary hearings titled
`Nagorno-Karabagh Issue: Ways of Settlement’.
Head of the Committee Armen Rustamian says the hearings are aimed at
defining the potential and mechanisms of parliamentary diplomacy,
contributing to the solution of the Karabagh problem, clarifying the
role of Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic in the process of
conflict settlement as well as bringing together and systematizing the
approaches and positions of the Armenian side with the purpose of
presenting those approaches in the context of possible developments
connected with the conflict settlement process.
All the political forces represented in the National Assembly will
participate in the hearings including all of the political forces in
the opposition camp. The Committee has sent invitation letters to the
experts in Nagorno Karabagh Republic involved in the negotiation
process. It should be noted that a wide range of experts have been
invited including international experts.
Representatives of international organizations where the Karabagh
problem is discussed at the parliamentary level will also participate
in the hearings. These organizations include the Council of Europe,
OSCE, UNO, NATO and others.
Representatives of the OSCE Minsk Group member countries will also
participate in the hearings. It is possible that the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs will also participate in the hearings. Armen Rustamian
informed that the list of questions to be discussed during the
hearings has been sent to the participants.
The questions are classified into three groups. First, Rustamian
believes, is that an attempt must be made to clarify the nature of the
Karabagh problem, the reasons for its emergence, the process of its
development, its consequences and the current situation from the
perspective of the problem’s political, historical, legal aspects,
humanitarian law and its international perception. In this context,
the legal value and significance of various documents adopted by
international organizations will be discussed. The arguments put
forwardby the Azeri side will be discussed and comprehensively
evaluated.
The hearings aim at finding the key to the solution of the
problem. Several possible options have been outlined in this
respect. 1) conflict settlementvs. solution of the problem, 2)
stage-by-stage, package or incremental strategy vs. a mixed one, 3)
advantages and disadvantages of the so-called `territories in exchange
for status’ and `territories in exchange for peace’ approaches.
As to the negotiation process, the rights and obligations of the sides
will be discussed, the proposals made by them will be comparatively
analyzed, the possible consequences for conflict prolongation and
probability of restart of war will be assessed and the efficiency of
the mediation missions will be evaluated.
By the end of the parliamentary hearings the Committee will publish
the hearing materials. The Committee is planning to publish a
collection of the presentations made at the hearings. `Based on this,
the Committee will summarize the hearings and will come up with a
conclusion.
We hope that this conclusion will become the document based on which
the parliamentary diplomacy will be coordinated. In other words, we
expect it to become the main element in our concept of pursuing the
solution of the Nagorno Karabagh problem,’ Rustamian noted.
Answering the question whether it is possible that this final document
might become a concept for our Foreign Affairs Ministry, Rustamian
noted that recommendations based on this concept will be presented to
various agencies including the executive agencies in Armenia and
Nagorno Karabagh Republic which will also be participating in the
hearings.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress