AN INTERVAL IS ANTICIPATED IN THE NEGOTIATIONS

A1+
[01:05 pm] 29 June, 2006

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Mathew Bryza announced the principles
of settlement of the Karabakh issue discussed by the presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan.

These principles include withdrawal of Armenian troops from the
territories, where they were stationed, economic assistance to Karabakh
and communication, as well as a referendum on the status of Nagorno
Karabakh at some stage.

"For the first time a co-chair presented systematically all the
information that is possible to get from various sources," Vahram
Atanesyan, Chair of the Committee of External Relations of the NKR
National Assembly, said to the Karabakh Open. He emphasized that
the proposals of the American co-chair are not in the interests of
Karabakh. According to Atanesyan, opening the cards is an effort to
make pressure on the parties. "Otherwise, the presidents might reach
agreement. Besides, agreement without the engagement of the government
of NKR is impossible," said Vahram Atanesyan. "Unfortunately,
it seems to me that the principles of settlement of the Karabakh
issue, "revealed" by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Mathew Bryza, are
addressed to the Armenian public because they are in the interests
of Azerbaijan," said Vahram Atanesyan. "In particular, the return
of territories and uncertainty over the time of settlement of the
problem of status," said Vahram Atanesyan.

"I think opening the cards at the moment means there are major
controversies and hurdles in the process of settlement. Moreover, these
hurdles are impossible to take. Therefore, the cards were opened in
the summer of 2006, which was said to be an expedient year for the
settlement of the Karabakh problem. It means that the talks did not
produce significant results," Davit Babayan, political scientist,
said to the Karabakh Open.

"The logic of Azerbaijan and certain international organizations,
namely the return of territories and holding a referendum at a period
which is uncertain is unacceptable for the Armenian party. Some
liberated areas have the same role for the security of Karabakh as the
independence. Real independence is impossible without these areas. For
instance, 85 percent of Karabakh rivers, as well as the rivers Vorotan
and Arpa nourishing the Sevan start from the region of Karvachar. If
this area is not controlled by NKR, Karabakh may undergo ecological
terror. Even if the independence of Karabakh is recognized. However,
Azerbaijan rejects this as well, and insists on maintaining the status
of Karabakh in an indefinite period of time. If the developments follow
this path, it may be a powerful psychological shock for the people
of NKR, and it will be difficult to get over it. It is absolutely
absurd for a winner to take such a step," said Davit Babayan.

"What is more, both the independence and autonomy of Karabakh
contain equal risk for Azerbaijan, because in both cases the other
ethnic minorities in Azerbaijan, namely the Talish and Lezgis will
demand similar rights. And this could lead to the dissolution of the
Azerbaijani statehood," noted the political scientist.

The "proposals" revealed by the new American co-chair of the OSCE
Minsk Group Mathew Bryza did not find support in Karabakh. The chair
of the Committee of External Relations of the NKR National Assembly
Vahram Atanesyan, Democracy faction, Gagik Petrosyan, representative
of the second political party in the parliament Azat Hayrenik, and the
opposition announced that the package discussed by the presidents of
Azerbaijan and Armenia is against the vital interests of Karabakh. The
proposals on returning territories and holding a referendum in an
indefinite period are unacceptable. "The impression is that the
revelations were addressed to the Armenian party because they are
totally in the interests of Azerbaijan," said Vahram Atanesyan.

At the same time, they think in Karabakh that Bryza’s revelations
may be a swansong of the package proposal.

Political scientist Davit Babayan thinks that since the proposals
have been published, the presidents will not discuss them, and a
necessity for new approaches will occur.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress