IT WOULD BE BETTER TO REACH AGREEMENT IMMEDIATELY AFTER MAY 12 1994,
VLADIMIR KAZIMIROV SAYS

YEREVAN, JUNE 2, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “Undoubtedly, after
Nagorno Karabakh ceased to take part in the negotiations process, a
step back was done,” Ambassador Vladimir Kazimirov, former
Plenipotentiary of RF President on Nagorno Karabakh, Co-chairman of
OSCE Minsk Group from Russia (1992-1996), declared to Noyan Tapan
correspondent. According to him, in the decisions of OSCE Budapest
summit of 1994 at the level of the heads of the states, as well as in
the mandate of the Minsk conference Co-chairmen it was written that
the negotiations should be conducted between the conflict sides: “No
word “state” is mentioned there, there is no clause mentioning that
the negotiations should be conducted by sovereign states. Whereas, the
decisions of the Budapest summit of 1994 are the highest ones, as
summits at the level of foreign ministers were conducted only after
this,” Ambassador Kazimirov declared. He reminded that in the first
half of the 90-s the western powers did not like Russia’s active role.

In particular, according to him, nothing about the already established
ceasefire was said in the resolution of the OSCE Permanent Council of
May 19 1994 that met in Vienna. “The things even reached the point
that representatives of some western countries demanded that the
agreement be signed in another city but not only in Moscow. Whereas,
the agreement prepared with Moscow’s active participation worked while
all the previous agreements were failing,” V.Kazimirov declared. (NT:
the agreement “On Ceasefire” was signed among Armenia, Nagorno
Karabakh and Azerbaijan with Russia’s mediation on May 12 1994 in
Moscow). According to him, no terms of action were specially mentioned
in the text of this document for the agreement to work termlessly. ”

One more useful resolution was found in July 1994, which was accepted
by all sides and figured in public statements, including the highest
level, according to which ceasefire will be observed by the sides
until concluding an agreement on ceasing the armed conflict.” However,
in Vladimir Kazimirov’s opinion, “it would be better to reach
agreement immediately after the agreement “On Ceasefire” signed on May
12 1994, as the inertia of the agreement on truce permitted to move
forward,” whereas, the moment was missed.