EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR S CAUCASUS: IT IS NOT PROFITABLE FOR THE CONFLICT PARTIES TO DRAG OUT NK CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
April 5 2006

“Despite contradictory comments on failure of the talks in Rambouillet,
according to our estimation, the negotiation process on the Karabakh
settlement is alive, there are still possibilities to continue the
process and achieve progress”, stated RA FM Vardan Oskanyan today in
the course of a joint press conference with the newly appointed EU
Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby.

According to RA FM, during the meeting with Peter Semneby, who has
for the first time visited the South Caucasus as the European Union
Special Representative for the South Caucasus, the key subject of
the discussions was the Karabakh conflict settlement process. The
parties discussed the latest events and the situation created after
the talks in Rambouillet.

The EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby
noted the Special Representative’s mandate had become wider, which
allowed him more actively participate in the settlement process. In
Peter Semneby’s words, change of the mandate is explained by the
European Union’s interest in settlement of the frozen conflicts in
the South Caucasus. “The European Union wishes to be more actively
involved in the settlement process”, stated Peter Semneby. The EU
Special Representative for the South Caucasus noted that after RA
and AR Presidents’ talks in Rambouillet efforts were being made to
achieve some progress in the conflict settlement process.

According to the Special Representative, it is not profitable for
the conflict parties to drag out the problem’s solution. He believes
for Armenia the settlement’s protraction is fraught with continuation
of isolation and blockade of its borders. In its turn in Azerbaijan
delaying may result in strengthening aspiration for the conflict’s
military settlement. In this connection Peter Semneby said he
disapproved militarist statements periodically voiced in Azerbaijan.

In his turn, RA FM stressed the military solution of the Karabakh
issue was inadmissible. “The only way of settlement is a way of
mutual compromises”, stressed RA FM. Without going into detail of the
issues being discussed in the course of the talks, Vardan Oskanyan
noted Armenian party had nothing to concede. In Oskanyan’s words,
the Azeri party should display political will, and then the talks on
search for the problem’s solution may be continued.

While speaking about the European Union’s role in the Karabakh conflict
settlement, the Special Representative stressed the matter did not
concern change of the negotiations’ format. The talks proceed within
the frames of the OSCE Minsk group, which, in Semneby’s opinion,
discharges its duties well.

Touching upon Armenia-the EU relations Vardan Oskanyan noted he had
assured Peter Semneby of Armenia’s adherence to the Euro integration
process. RA FM informed that the current stage of Armenia-the EU
talks was likely to be held late April – early May, in the course
of which the parties would finish the works on the program’s final
elaboration. In Vardan Oskanyan’s opinion, realization of the Action
Program will open up new perspectives for the development of bilateral
relations.

RA FM noted the issues of the Armenian-Turkish relations had also
been discussed at the meeting with the EU Special Representative for
the South Caucasus. The possibility of the Special Representative’s
involvement in the process of establishing relations between Armenia
and Turkey was considered as well.

In this connection Peter Semneby stated the issue of the
Armenian-Turkish relations was directly connected with the Karabakh
problem. He emphasized establishment of the Armenian-Turkish relations
proceeded from the European Union’s interests, especially in the
context of the talks on Turkey’s entry into the EU.