A1+

THERE CAN’T BE ONE-SIDED COMPROMISE
[05:27 pm] 30 June, 2006

«Gas pipeline Baku-Erzrum is already being exploited, and the regions
turns into a transit region of oil and gas pipelines where billions
have been invested», economist Edward Aghajanov announced today.

Answering the question of `A1+’ how the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict will influence the economic development of the region
Mr. Aghajanov answered, `Investments in the region are so huge that
the investors will not allow the destabilization of the situation. If
the process of the settlement of the Karabakh conflict is frozen,
Armenia will be left out of all the regional programs’.

Mr. Aghajanov almost excludes the possibility or re-launching
war. `The existence of energy bridges in the region excludes all
possibility of war. A couple of shots are enough for the region to
face an ecological disaster and to be deprived of the alternative
sources of oil and gas’.

Approaching the issue from the point of view of the economic
development of the region Mr. Aghajanov said that the Minsk group
co-chairs are not disappointed at all and they intend to see the
settlement of the conflict will the end of 2007. According to Mr.
Aghajanov, the only possibility of the settlement is equal
compromise. `If we make a compromise, we must receive something
specific in return, for instance clearing the status of Karabakh right
away and not in future’.

Referring to the fact that only the Armenians speak about giving
territories whereas many Armenians regions (Shahoumyan, Getashen,
Artsvashen) are taken by the Azeris, Mr. Aghajanov said,
`Unfortunately, the authorities have never raised the issue. If they
did, Shahoumyan and Getashen are equal to Qelbajar and
Lachin. Compromise must be equivalent. There can be no one-sided
compromise’.