MINSK GROUP IS NOT DEAD
Azat Artsakh Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
09 Sept 05
According to him, it is waiting for the instructions of the presidents
of Armenia and Azerbajan. After the meetings with the presidents of RA
and NKR on September 6 the chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group met with
the foreign minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian. As Mr. Rupel said he
had a lot of questions to discuss with his old friend Vartan Oskanian.
Certainly, the issue of resolution of the Nagorno-Karbakh conflict was
the most interesting of all. According to the OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
there are already points in common in the standpoints of the both
parties, which is commendable. Dimitrij Rupel said he is not partial
and tries to understand and support the process. Accoding to the
European diplomat, to assist to the process he is ready to meet with
all the parties, be it Armenia, Azerbaijan or Nagorno Karabakh. He
described the position of the chairman-in-action as an administrative
official whose task is to listen to the parties and his visit to the
region is the evidence to this. I visited the region to listen rather
than to speak, he mentioned. In fact, In Baku and Yerevan D. Rupel
listened to many, and relying on what he had heard, told the journalists
that there are more points in common between the standpoints of the
parties concerning the Karabakh resolution. However, he noticed that
the similarities are only in principle issues, whereas problems occur
connected with the details. The foreign minister of Armenia Vartan
Oscanian also asserted this idea. `If we start to open these
ideantical principles and go into detail, we shall face serious
difficulties. We cannot discuss any variant of resolution which does
not provide for the right of self-determination of the people of
Nagorno Karabakh,’ stated V. Oskanian. As to the weakening of the
Minsk Group and the rumours about taking away the issue of resolution
from the Minsk Group and solving it under the auspices of another
organization, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office denied these. According to
him, the Minsk group is not dead. What is more, Dimitrij Rupel is
convinced that the meetings of the conflict sides in the framework of
the OSCE Minsk Group will resume. The chairman explained the silence
of the Minsk group by the lack of instructions on the part of the
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Vartan Oscanian added that when
we reach some level in discussing the details, it will be necessary to
resume the Minsk process in which the Karabakh government will be
involved automatically. In the end the foreign minister of Armenia
touched upon the recent militaristic statements of Azerbaijan (which,
by the way, the OSCE Chairman said not to have ever heard), once again
warned the present government of Azerbaijan and the authors of the
statements. Even if Azerbaijan increases its military budget, it will
not be able to bias the balance with Armenia. We are not afraid of
this way because we have once won already.
CHRISTINE MNATSAKANIAN.
09-09-2005