AZG Armenian Daily #122, 01/07/2006

Karabakh issue

VLADIMIR KAZIMIROV: YOU CANNOT BE HALF-PREGNANT; EITHER ALL DOCUMENTS
SHOULD BE MADE PUBLIC OR ALL BE KEPT SECRET

Co-Chairs Tired of Waiting

"It’s hard for me to make judgments on this as I am not in the
negotiations and know many things not from the first hand but other
sources. That’s why my speculation can have only a relative value,"
Vladimir Kazimirov, former Russian co-chair to the OSCE Minsk Group
told daily Azg commenting on the Minsk Group co-chairs’ Vienna
statement on June 22 in. "From all I know, I agree with the co-chairs
on the measures they suggest but not the sequence of their
implementation. If you have noticed the part about two-sided and
international guarantees comes after the presidents’ proposals. I
think everything that has to do with nonviolence and guarantees
against using force should be placed not in the first phase but in the
zero phase. I don’t think it’s good to put the part about guarantees
at the end of the statement. It should be strongly emphasized that no
matter how many phases there are, they should follow an
internationally validated obligation to refrain from using force for
settling disputable issues of this conflict. This has to be on the
first place as a zero phase."

As to the stage-by-stage content of the co-chairs’ statement and the
vague wording about Nagorno Karabakh status, Vladimir Kazimirov said:
"Yes indeed, the issue of referendum is put in a vague sentence.
Nothing is said about concrete date. The statement says that the issue
of status will be an object of separate negotiations but neither dates
nor conditions are mentioned. The Azeri side was quick to respond
saying that no referendum is possible as the country’s constitution
allows plebiscites only on all-Azerbaijani level. But there is a
question: is that not clear why Azerbaijani constitution has such a
clause? It was added as an amendment well taking into account the
Karabakh conflict in order not to allow Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh
voice their opinion. It is over doubt. But where in the international
practice we can see an example when the whole nation votes? For
instance in Quebec only local residents voted but not Canada as a
whole.

"Statements that Azerbaijani constitution does not foresee such
referendums are not convincing. Today’s Azerbaijani constitution was
written having in mind the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. In the meantime,
no matter how the dispute is resolved definitely Azerbaijani
constitution will be needed to undergo changes even if Karabakh gets
the widest autonomy within Azerbaijan as Azeris dream.

"There were exaggerated expectations that the conflict will get
resolved in 2006. But that was an illusion. Half of the year has
passed and no progress was achieved. Even if we consider the sides’
statements that Armenia and Azerbaijan have never before been so close
to a solution, there are still discords between them.

"In such conditions one can understand the annoyance of the
co-chairs. I am familiar with such situation. The co-chairs are
disappointed that the two presidents find no ways to meet each other
half way."

Asked whether it is right and timely to make public parts of a
document that is still being discussed and elaborated, Kazimirov said:
"As the saying goes, one cannot be half-pregnant. Either the whole
content of the documents should be revealed or they should be kept
under wraps. The current situation is incomplete. Firstly, Matthew
Bryza’s interview then the MG co-chairs’ statement. Both are only part
of the document presented by the Armenian and Azerbaijan
presidents. Should they go on with publicizing or stop? It’s up to the
o-chairs and the sides to decide. But Serge Sargsian, for one, spoke
lately for making the documents public.

I was not delighted when back in 1997-98 Heydar Aliyev revealed all
three documents of that time and Yerevan did the same in 2-3 days. At
any rate, the societies got some understanding on how the talks are
going. But do not forget that in 1997-98 all proposals – package,
stage-by-stage or the state’s – used to be presented to the three
sides of the conflict. But today co-chairs present their proposals to
Armenia and Azerbaijan but not to all the sides."

By Aghavni Harutyunian