NO CHANCES TO SETTLE KARABAKH CONFLICT NOW: POLITICAL SCIENTIST

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 15, 2006

YEREVAN, March 15. /ARKA/. There are no chances to settle the Karabakh
conflict now. “Novosti Armenia” news agency reports that the political
scientist, Chairman of the National Civil Council for International
Affairs, Director of the Institute of Political Sciences Sergey Markov
told reporters in Moscow. “The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is currently
‘in a frozen state’, and there are no chances to settle it in the
foreseeable future,” Markov said.

The political scientist pointed out that “unfreezing” and settlement
to the conflict requires specific shifts. These shifts, according
to Markov, can be a civil war in Karabakh or an internal struggle
in Azerbaijan that result in strengthening of the “party of war”,
and also domestic issues in Armenia would lead to a situation when
the position of supporting Karabakh will disappear.

“All this is unlikely, but possible,” he said.

Markov also pointed out that in order to “unfreeze” and settle the
conflict it is necessary to have “a prepared plan to ensure that the
settlement does become a declaration of war”.