A `TACIT’ STEP BY STEP SETTLEMENT
Azat Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
07 April 2006
Recently debates and events connected with the Karabakh issue have
acquired a new quality and course. The offered solutions are so many
and so different that it seems impossible to offer a fundamentally new
solution. However, the relationships of the conflict parties have not
changed and still lack confidence. Hence, `bridges’ are needed rather
to bring into being one of the existing solutions. This first of all
requires mutual confidence or at least a constructive dialogue on good
faith. The official bilateral and mediated meetings of the
representatives of Armenia and Azerbaijan apparently cannot foster the
establishment of this atmosphere. As a result the role of the
non-governmental sector increases, and recently it has been quite
active. In this context the Dartmouth Conference is a significant
step. This is an American initiative since 2001. The delegations of
Azerbaijan, Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh participate in the activity
of the Dartmouth Conference Regional Conflicts Task Force. The task
force has effective relations with both NGOs and official
bodies. After the meetings in Baku and Armenia the task force arrived
in Stepanakert on April 1. The US co-chairman Harold Saunders, the
Russian co-chairman Vitaly Naumkin, as well as Phil Steward and Irina
Zvyagelskaya met with the representatives of non-governmental and
political organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The core
question discussed at the meeting was the draft of the framework
agreement on the peace settlement of the Karabakh issue, worked out in
2005, during the ninth meeting of the Dartmouth Conference. Harold
Saunders briefed the main principles of the document. According to
him, none of the sides wants a deadlocked negotiation for the peace
settlement of the Karabakh conflict. However, he also pointed out that
it is impossible to lay bridges of agreement between the logically
opposite views that the sides have today. By the way, Harold Saunders
meant Nagorno Karabakh as a conflict side. For the role of the
framework agreement in establishing this bridge, Harold Saunders
thinks if applied it would establish serious progress in the talks. He
characterized it as a peace-building plan, in which every next step is
possible after the fulfilment of the previous one, rather than a
document that would establish peace at once. Accordingly, the process
is divided into two parts. In the first one it is foreseen to
establish an atmosphere, take actions and create conditions for the
second stage, when a final resolution of the issue will be
reached. The Russian co-chairman Vitaly Naumkin pointed out the fact
that the representatives of the United States and Russia, which have
considerable controversies with regard to conflict settlement, act
together in the peace settlement of the conflict over Karabakh. It is
interesting to know the status, however. According to him, it is
impossible to settle the Karabakh issue at once. First it is necessary
to create an atmosphere. With regard to this Vitaly Naumkin said it is
impossible to achieve results at once. Therefore, it is preferable to
take a tiny step than not to do anything at all. And the engagement
of Karabakh in the talks will, according to him, have only positive
results for it. Nagorno Karabakh will be recognized in international
relations, and will have the right to sign certain agreements and make
commitments. The representatives of the NKR NGOs and political
organizations disagreed to certain principles and terms used in the
document with regard to the step-by-step resolution of the conflict
and the status of Nagorno Karabakh. Margarita Karapetyan, Official of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of NKR, said: `The document does not
state clearly the legal status of Nagorno Karabakh, which is of utter
importance for the Karabakh side. Here a de-facto, an ` intermediate’
status is mentioned only. On the other hand, the step-by-step
settlement underlies this document, determining the peace settlement
by the return of certain territories, the problem of refugees, etc. It
is very important that it is done through successive steps, the first,
then the second, etc. Practically, in accordance with the document,
the conflict over Karabakh and its settlement is viewed from the
aspect of elimination of the consequences rather than the cause of the
conflict ` the status of NKR.’
NORAYR HOVSEPIAN.
07-04-2006
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
