AZG Armenian Daily #057, 01/04/2005

Karabakh issue

‘NAGORNO KARABAKH IS A UNIQUE CASE’

Earlier OSCE Chairman in Office Considered NKR a ‘Territory in Dispute’

Dimitri Rupel, foreign minister of Slovenia, OSCE chairman in office,
believes that Nagorno Karabakh is “a unique case.” He doesn’t want to
compare the Karabakh conflict with “other frozen conflicts that the OSCE
tries to settle.”

On March 4, 2005, in his speech at the UN Security Council Rupel called
Nagorno Karabakh “a territory in dispute.” While, when touching upon the
issues of Transdniestria, Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia, he hinted that
these conflicts should be settled within the framework of Transdniestria’s
and Georgia’s territorial integrity.

Earlier, in the December of 2002, Rudolf Perina, former US OSCE Minsk group
co-chair, clearly distinguished the Nagorno Karabakh conflict among other
conflicts existing in the CIS.

On February 19, 2005, John Evans, US ambassador to Armenia, said during the
meeting with the American-Armenians that “Nagorno Karabakh can’t be given
back to Azerbaijan. That would be a disaster.”

Heydar Aliyev was extremely close to signing the Key West agreement in 2001,
according to which Nagorno Karabakh would join Armenia.

On March 30, Rupel stated in the press conference held with RA foreign
minister that the only possible way to settle the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
is that of a political one. He encouraged all parties “to make full use of
the existing window.” He called for the sides “to stop the violations of the
ceasefire” and added that “the tongue of aggression should be excluded.”
Rupel is going to tell the Azeri authorities in Baku that only peaceful
settlement is possible.

On his turn, Vartan Oskanian stated that “the closer the armies approach
each other in the belt of conflict, there are more accidents.” In response
to the question of the Slovenian journalist, Oskanian said that the OSCE
didn’t exhaust itself. Recently, he said at RA National Assembly that Baku
tries to move NKR settlement to other international instances.

Dimitri Rupel met with RA President, chairman of RA National Assembly,
Arkady Ghukasian, NKR President, and RA foreign minister.

Rupel believes that the meeting of RA and Azeri presidents envisaged in May
will be crucial for the successful development of the process.

Vartan Oskanian said that there will be two occasions to hold the meetings
between Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev: the first will be the 60th
anniversary of the victory against the Nazis on May 8-9 and the second
occasion will be the CE Congress in Warsaw on May16-17.

As for NKR’s participation in the negotiations, Oskanian said: “The sooner,
the better.”

Rupel said that in the settlement process “the main players are Armenia and
Azerbaijan.” He also added: “I Can’t say anything unless I meet with the
Azeris.”

By Tatoul Hakobian