KARABACK PROBLEM IS A SPECIAL CASE
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
05 April 05
The foreign minister of Slovenia mentioned that his meetings mainly
concerned the problem of Karabakh. According to D. Rupel, the possible
way of settlement of the Karabakh conflict is the political one. He
thinks that the breaking of the ceasefire should be prevented and
stability should be restored very quickly. Rupel also mentioned
that the OSCE, the EU and other international organizations consider
peace talks as the only way of settlement. He encouraged the sides to
make use of the open widow. The foreign minister of Armenia Vardan
Oskanian, touching upon the situation at the front line, said that
the closer the armies are located to each other, the more accidents
there are. According to Dimitry Rupel, they may aid in the settlement
of the conflict, however, their mandate is restricted to providing
opportunities for the conflict parties to communicate. In reference
to the meeting of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan planned in
May the OSCE Chairman-in-Office mentioned that he is optimistic about
the meeting. According to him, it may turn to be a good starting point
for the further process of settlement of the Karabakh conflict. As to
the participation of Karabakh in the negotiations, foreign minister
of Armenia Vardan Oskanian is hopeful that it will happen soon. By
the way, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, who had mentioned about the
participation of Karabakh in the talks, found it difficult to mention
a definite time. According to him, the main players in the settlement
of the issue are Armenia and Azerbaijan. He said he could not make
observations without having met with the Azerbaijani friends. It is
notable that Dimitrij Rupel who used to define Nagorno Karabakh as
disputable territory now thinks that Nagorno Karabakh is a special
case. What is more, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office does not consider it
necessary to compare the Karabakh conflict with other ceased conflicts
that the OSCE tries to regulate or solve. The OSCE Chairman-in-Office
left Yerevan hoping that in spite of the pessimistic statements of
Azerbaijan the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will meet in May.
AA.
05-04-2005