PROGRESS IN SETTLEMENT
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
22 July 05
The visit of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to the region is over.
Summing up the results with the journalists in Yerevan, in the
evening of July 15 they flew back to their countries, regretting that
they could not accept the offer of the president of Armenia Robert
Kocharian to have a holiday near Lake Sevan, only the Russian
co-chair could not refuse the tempting offer. As to the official part
of the visit, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Youri Merzlyakov
(Russia), Stephen Mann (US) and Bernard Fassier (France) met with the
president of Armenia Robert Kocharian. The personal representative of
the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk participated in the
meeting as well. They discussed issues concerning the present stage
of the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. The co-chairs informed
the RA President about the consultations in Baku and Stepanakert. The
OSCE co-chairs also met with the foreign minister of Armenia Vartan
Oskanian. After the official meeting the co-chairmen gave a press
conference. During the press conference in Yerevan they stated that
their visit aimed to clarify the pivotal elements in the settlement
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. During the press conferences in
Baku, Stepanakert and finally in Yerevan they stated that there is
progress in negotiations, however, according to the Russian co-chair,
they need to clarify the formulations, which they did during their
meetings in the region. Reluctant to give any details about the
negotiations, the mediators only mentioned that there is progress in
the talks which was favoured by the willingness of both parties to
compromise. What does this suppose: holding a referendum in Karabakh,
returning territories or anything else? The negotiations being
confidential, the mediators did not tell anything. Moreover, they
asked the journalists not to ask similar questions. While the
co-chairs keep silent in order not to harm the talks, the Azerbaijani
mass media announce to the world that at present the issue of
returning territories is discussed. According to the Azerbaijani
, the question of returning five of the regions controlled
by Nagorno Karabakh Republic has been decided; it is no more a
subject of the talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group. According to
the same source, when the OSCE Minsk Group Russian co-chair Youri
Merzlyakov said, “in the talks for the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict a perfect agreement has been reached only on one element”,
he meant the issue of returning those five regions agreed to by the
parties. In the May 12 statement of the Azerbaijani State Agency the
anonymous source said that Armenia agreed to pull out its military
forces from the adjacent regions of NKR. The plan of gradual
withdrawal of the Armenian troops from the 7 regions of the occupied
zone was discussed during the meeting of the foreign ministers of
Armenia and Azerbaijan with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs in London.
The Azerbaijani side extended the suggestion of changes into the
programme to the co-chairs who discussed it with Vartan Oskanian.
Then the summation, to which Armenia agreed, was extended to Baku.
The plan based on the formula 5+1+1 supposes the withdrawal of troops
from five regions first: Kubatlu, Zangelan, Fizuli, Jabrail and
Aghdam. After this the parties will sign a peace agreement. Then the
Armenian forces will be withdrawn first from Kelbajar, then from
Lachin. The same source mentions that the Azerbaijani side insisted
on the introduction of the following point in the document. “If after
signing the agreement the withdrawal of the troops does not take
place in the scheduled time, the signed document will automatically
lose its effect.” It does not matter whether anyone believes the
Azerbaijanis’ ravings or not. And there is no need to repeat once
again that before conceding any territory the Armenian party will
first settle the issue of the status of Nagorno Karabakh, let alone
the return of Armenian Getashen, Shahumian and other territories
occupied by Azerbaijan.
CHRISTINE MNATSAKANIAN.
22-07-2005