ARKADY GHUKASSIAN MET WITH MATTHEW BRYZA

Azat Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
03 Aug 2006

Recently the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs visiting the region
avoided meetings in Karabakh on different excuses. But the ice is
melting. Recently NKR President Arkady Ghukassian met with the OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chair Matthew Bryza in Stepanakert, which is highly
appreciable. This is Matthew Bryza’s first visit after becoming
mediator in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Earlier last week
the NKR president said in connection with the meeting that the visit
of the U.S. co-chair is a good chance to present our standpoint fully
to Bryza, as well as the other co-chairs. "This is a cognitive visit
because this is Bryza’s first visit and I believe that it is better
to see once than hear twice. As for our engagement in the talks, this
question will be discussed as well. I believe that no controversies
will occur because all the co-chairs emphasized and realize that it
is impossible to settle the Karabakh issue without the engagement
of Karabakh." After the meeting on July 29 the NKR president told
news reporters that recently he has been invited to meet with the
co-chairs in Yerevan but he found that it is more correct to hold
these meetings in Karabakh. As for this meeting, Arkady Ghukassian
affirmed that Bryza did not come to Karabakh with new proposals,
he came to get acquainted directly with the standpoint of the third
party. "And we managed to present our standpoint duly," said Arkady
Ghukassian. Matthew Bryza avoided details, and only mentioned that
the atmosphere was highly constructive and even creative. He said
they tried to find certain approaches that would favor the peace
settlement. The minister of foreign affairs Georgy Petrossian said,
"Today the approach of both the head of state and the U.S. co-chair
was creative. As for details, there are no such. There were new ideas,
which need to be clarified, agreed on and discussed." Bryza avoided
answering the question if there is a striking difference between the
standpoints of the parties. The NKR president spoke more openly,
"It is natural that we may have different approaches. I think it
was interesting to hear our opinion. I would not say we met strong
countering, because I think our approaches are quite logical. I cannot
give more detail because the meeting is highly confidential, and it
is clear that our standpoint differs from the presented approaches. I
think it is easy for news reporters to make conclusions because you
know our standpoint in the sense that we do not accept components
to be separated from the context. We are against that the problem
of Azerbaijani refugees be viewed separately from the problem of
Armenian refugees. We are against viewing the question of territories
outside the context of the status of Nagorno Karabakh. I repeat
I cannot analyze the whole package proposal, but on the whole it
does not deny that we defend our standpoint. There are no crucial
controversies between the standpoints of Armenia and Artsakh, but
Karabakh has its own approach concerning certain details. I guess
you know both our standpoint and the standpoint of Armenia and you
can draw your conclusions. I would not say that there are crucial
controversies, but we have our approaches on definite details. This
standpoint does not differ from the standpoint we present to our
people. We cannot say one thing to people and another thing to the
co-chairs." As for the engagement of Karabakh in the talks, the NKR
president thinks that Matthew Bryza, as well as the others realize
that it is impossible to settle the problem of Karabakh without the
engagement of Karabakh. The news reporters asked the same question
to Matthew Bryza, who was again reluctant to comment, saying that
the important thing is that he is here and learns the approaches of
the Karabakh party. With regard to the engagement of Karabakh in the
talks, Bryza said it is the problem of Armenia and Azerbaijan, who
must reach agreement on this question. With regard to the revelations
he made on June 22 in Vienna, Bryza said those were proposals. He
again emphasized that he came to get acquainted with the standpoints
of the presidents, all the interested parties, and is going to meet
with the other co-chairs of the Minsk Group in Paris. According to
him, there are new ideas, new components which may favor the next
step in the talks. The questions concerning the conclusions of the
co-chairs and their next steps, the reaction of the people of the
region to the next step of the Minsk Group do not have answers yet,
and these answers will determine stability in the region. Recently
some media have written that there is pressure on the leaderships
of conflict parties on behalf of certain co-chairs of the Minsk
Group. In answer to the question whether there was pressure during
this meeting, Arkady Ghukassian said, "Do I look like an oppressed
man? And to be more serious, I have not encountered such things over
the past years. I have been in this complicated process since 1992
and I have never felt pressure on me."

NIKOLAY BAGHDASSARIAN.