EXPERT: "RECOGNITION OF SO-CALLED UNRECOGNIZED STATES IS NOT FAR OFF"

Regnum, Russia
Oct 2 2006

"Russia has always stuck to the principle of territorial integrity
in conflict settlement in the post-Soviet territories; however, as
time goes by, we have come to understanding that settlement of those
conflicts on the ground of the territorial integrity concept without
infringing upon the right for self-determination is impossible. Today
we can see a drastic turn in attitudes of policymakers towards
necessity to respect the right for self-determination and people’s
will," Head of the Institute for CIS Countries, MP Konstantin Zatulin,
who has visited recently Stepanakert, is quoted as saying on air of
Nagorno Karabakh Public Television.

As a REGNUM correspondent in Stepanakert reports, at the same time
Zatulin added that Russia considers ceasefire as the main achievement
and nonrenewal of operations in conflict zones. "Recognition of the
so-called unrecognized states is not far off. Unrecognized republics
have all attributes of state system and stable democratic system,"
Konstantin Zatulin is quoted as saying.

Speaking on the referendum in Transdnestr, the MP noted: "If the
West considers it appropriate to hold another referendum in Nagorno
Karabakh, why doesn’t it recognize the outcome of the referendum
in Transdnestr?" At the same time, he noted that in Russia the
struggle of opinions has continued over the issue of recognizing
the Transdnestr independence. According to the expert, recognition
of Kosovo independence can become a precedent for recognizing newly
established countries in the post-Soviet territory, particularly,
for Nagorno Karabakh.