Paper paints gloomy picture for Armenian leader over Karabakh in Bucharest
Aykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
30 May 06
Text of Anna Akopyan report by Armenian newspaper Aykakan Zhamanak on
30 May entitled “Do not suppress those who are suppressed”
We have already reported that Armenian officials, who are engaged in
the Karabakh settlement, feel rather tense ahead of the Bucharest
meeting between Robert Kocharyan and Ilham Aliyev. This situation
promises nothing good and gives ground to suppose that a document put
on the negotiating table is not so much advantageous to Armenia.
Although Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan on 28 May told journalists
that currently the negotiations were far from being close to the
situation when it would be possible to sign a document in Bucharest.
Oskanyan said that he was aware of a one-page document that might be
put on the table for the presidents in which not all the fixed
principles were agreed on. Thus, despite the minister’s refusal, there
is information that a document just on those principles will be put
for the signing by Kocharyan and Aliyev in Bucharest.
That is to say, this will be an intermediate or a frame document on
Karabakh settlement. But the most important are the principles
existing in the document which have not been agreed on. As known,
first, they mean the number of the Azerbaijani occupied territories
which should be returned in the first stage. Anyway, clash happened
in Rambouillet [Karabakh talks in Paris in February] around this
problem. According to trustworthy sources, at that time, the
Azerbaijani president demanded that Kalbacar should also be returned
and following this Kocharyan refused to continue the talks. After
that several developments took place over this period of time which
created an impression that the problem was settled. This impression
was further strengthened when Armenian president avoided meetings with
Aliyev in Vilnius and Paris and then he finally agreed to meet him in
Bucharest.
But Oskanyan’s statement from 28 May gives ground to suppose that the
Kalbcar problem is not out of the agenda and may be discussed again in
Bucharest.
Thus, if there is such a danger, it would be highly logical if
Kocharyan avoids this meeting, too. Certainly, this is possible but in
order for this happen, it is necessary to get at lest supported by the
OSCE Minsk Group co-chair [of Russia], Yuriy Merzlyakov. But
Kocharyan seems to be deprived of this now. That is to say, it is not
ruled out that Kocharyan tried to avoid the Bucharest meeting as well
but failed. In turn, this may cause a tension and anxiety for the
Armenian side. And if we add to this the expectations of the world
community, the OSCE Minsk Group mediators and the US president that
the sides to the conflict will come to an agreement in Bucharest and
sign a frame document, then the anxiety of the officials involved in
the Karabakh talks is obvious.
The situation is becoming tenser against the backdrop of developing
warm relations between US President George Bush and Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev. Incidentally, the US president did not lose an
opportunity to emphasize not only warmth of those relations but also
their importance once again. In particular, US President George Bush
congratulated Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the Day of
Republic and called their meeting in the White House as a historical
opportunity to develop common interests in the sphere of security,
energy and democracy. But this is not all. According to [Baku-based]
Zerkalo, Bush also mentioned that he is impatiently waiting for
consistent actions from the Azerbaijani president towards a peaceful
settlement to the Karabakh conflict.
Agree that the US president’s “impatience” especially in the message
to the Azerbaijani president is not the best option for the
development of events for Armenia. But Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan says that it is not a US style to bargain in such a
situation. In that case, why did George Bush not congratulate
Kocharyan on the Day of First Republic and did not share his
impatience with Kocharyan, too?
Is this not a moral pressure put on Kocharyan before the two
presidents’ meeting in Bucharest? Incidentally, about pressures.
Yesterday Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told journalists that
it was not correct to put pressure on the sides to the Karabakh
settlement. “The sides initiated talks for the settlement of the
conflict and putting pressure on them will backfire,” he said.