ACCORDING TO ICG REPRESENTATIVE, ARMENIAN AND AZERI AUTHORITIES SHOULD PREPARE THEIR SOCIETIES FOR PEACE

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Oct 11 2005

International Crisis Group representative for the South Caucasus Sabina
Freizer believes Armenian and Azeri leadership should immediately begin
preparing both countries’ societies for peace and mutual compromises
necessary for the achievement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict long –
term settlement.

Nagorno Karabakh conflict should not be considered “frozen” – people
are dying of fire – exchanges along the contact line and mines, it
goes on influencing upon the civil population’s life. Freizer stated
it when speaking at the Rose – Roth seminar in Yerevan organized by
RA Parliament and NATO Parliamentary Assembly. According to Freizer,
at present the likelihood of the war’s resumption is higher than
ever. She said lack of contacts between the societies had resulted in
the fact that the two countries’ young generation was more aggressive
than the Soviet one. It concerns mostly Azerbaijan. Freizer blamed
Azeri leadership forbidding Azeris to contact with Armenians. She
noted Azeri identified themselves with Turks and believed their duty
was to liberate the lands from Armenians. In her words, more than
50% of Azeri population does not see the alternative to the military
settlement of the conflict.

According to the International Crisis Group representative, despite
Nagorno Karabakh’s economic development, it depends on Armenia, which
forms Karabakh budget’s 60%, while50% of the NK servicemen are from
Armenia. The lands have been privatized by Armenian population. In
Freizer’s words, it may compound a problem while signing peace
agreement.

In her opinion, the parties adhere to the peaceful settlement. They
realize all the problems cannot be settled now. In particular, the
issue referring to determination of the NK final status should be
put off. First of all the troops should be withdrawn from the regions
surrounding the NKR and refugees return their homes.

Freizer thinks Nagorno Karabakh should get corresponding international
security guarantees then. She stated the UN, OSCE and EU would put a
stop to any kind of violations, especially those from the Azeri party.

As for a referendum, according to Freizer, there are still a lot
of problems to be discussed and clarified. ICG suggests that the
referendum should be conducted with the participation of Armenians
and Azeris.

Speaking about the independence referendum conducted in Nagorno
Karabakh in 1991, Freizer noted Azerbaijan did not recognize its
outcomes. ICG suggests that a new referendum should be conducted for
its outcomes to be recognized by Azerbaijan and be fixed in a peace
agreement. It is difficult to speak about the referendum’s technical
details now. No one knows what is going to take place in 10 – 15 years,
who will finance the referendum and monitor it. The issue referring to
the referendum is still painful. A few months ago Azeri FM rejected
the idea. And yet, according to the Azeri Constitution, a referendum
cannot be conducted in one part of the Republic, it must be held on
the whole territory of the country, noted Freizer.

There are other questions as well: who should vote and where? The
Armenian party believes voting should be conducted in the NK only,
and the question should be “Do you strive for independence?”.

According to Azeris, two referendums should be conducted in the NK:
the one among Armenians and another among Azeris. Who will vote – those
who used to live in the NK before the conflict’s beginning or their
posterity? In Freizer’s words, all the options should be discussed.

In this connection RA MFA representative Varuzhan Nersisyan noted
the issue referring to the status of Nagorno Karabakh could not be
postponed. The status is clear. He stated only its fixation’s form
could be put off.

He added the issue relevant to troops pullout from the territories
surrounding the NK should be discussed very carefully. In the
diplomat’s opinion, the problem is that Azerbaijan can change its
intentions, while Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh will not have the
lever of influence.

Varuzhan Nersisyan said it was obvious for Armenia that only one
referendum was to be conducted in NKR, as it concerned Nagorno Karabakh
people’s security. The Armenian diplomat stressed only the people
who lived in NKR or had lived there before the conflict should make
their choice.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress