‘KARABAKH BECAME AN OBJECT OF TERRITORIAL DISPUTE’

AZG Armenian Daily #099, 01/06/2005

Karabakh issue

Recent public opinion polls conducted in Armenia reveal that
Armenians see Nagorno Karabakh issue as 6th or 7th vital issue for
the nation. But, as sociologist Aharon Adibekian notes, in past the
issue used to occupy one of the first places as a key one.

The sociologist suggests two explanations to this recession in society:
on one hand Armenian society is losing alertness, on the other it is
content with the post-war situation. Adibekian thinks that the public
does not receive sufficient information on Karabakh resolution process.

The Institute of Human Rights and Democracy (IHRD) highlights the
Karabakh issue and the struggle for self-determination. In this view,
the IHRD accents organization of public discussions in order to bring
the issue out of narrow academic and political surroundings and expose
it to many-sided analysis.

In a civil debate organized by the IHRD on May 30, Armenian and
Artsakhi officials, historians, political scientists and sociologists
discussed the Karabakh Issue, the right of national self-determination
and issues of strengthening the statehood.

Representative of All-Armenian Movement, Aram Manukian, thinks
that the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is a very important political
factor for the present stage of conflict resolution. Manukian said
that Armenia has lost such serious partners as USA, Russia, France
and Iran after the volte-face in 1998. The most serious breakdown
is that Nagorno Karabakh has turned from a subject into an object,
“NK became an object of territorial dispute”.

Manukian noted that the resolution of Karabakh issue is not beneficial
neither for today’s Armenian nor Azeri authorities. He thinks the
resolution is not beneficial for Russia too, as only in case of
unsettled conflicts Russia can maintain its influence in the Caucasus.

The adviser of NKR minister thinks that Artsakh issue has different
meanings for Armenia and Azerbaijan. “The Artsakhi people has to try
to make the world recognize its independence”, Manvel Sargsian said.

The representative of RA Foreign Ministry, Varuzhan Nersisian, reminded
3 criteria of the ruling authorities: status of NKR out of Azerbaijan’s
borders, a safe corridor between Armenia and NKR and international
guarantees of safety. He did not agree that Karabakh has dropped out of
talk process but “the format of talks has simply changed”. He reminded
that the Lisbon talks offered Nagorno Karabakh wide autonomy in the
structure of Azerbaijan but since 1998 the new Armenian leadership
excludes Karabakh’s inclusion in Azerbaijan regardless any status.

By Tatoul Hakobian

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress