KASPRZYK: EVERYBODY PUSHES ITS INTERESTS
Panorama.am
13:35 09/11/06
Andrzej Kasprzyk, special representative of OSCE acting chairman on
Nagorno Karabakh, is participating in Wilton Park’s conference on
South Caucasus.
Panorama.am interviewed Kasprzyk on developments in the region.
– You have been in Armenia and Azerbaijan. How does the conflict
between Russia and the West influence the stability and development
in the region?
– I do not think that after cold war there is such a notion as a
conflict between Russia and the West. I think each country represents
its interests. I can point out that Russia has good relations with
France, Germany. It is wishful that similar relations were with Poland
as well. I do not think there is a specific approach to the region. I
think the developments in the region are not the continuation of cold
war. Everybody tries to push its interests.
-However, we are witnessing Russia-Georgia conflict which is viewed
in the context of American expansion in Georgia and South Caucasus
(or Transcaucasus).
After all it hinders the development in the region.
What can you say in this regard?
– I understand that the recent relations between Georgia and Russia do
not contribute to cooperation and reflect on the whole region. As an
external observer, we will hope that Russia and Georgia can regulate
their relations to the level that it will promote cooperation.
– This conference mainly discussed regional security and
development. In this context, we see that Azerbaijan and Turkey
together with Georgia build and form regional and bigger infrastructure
which passes by Armenia. How can this influence the region and can
it create new problems?
– I think the best would be full cooperation among the regional
states. I have no doubts in this and I think no one has. Taking
into consideration the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan
it is clear that it creates problems in the region on the way of
cooperation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan says she does
not want to cooperate because of the territorial occupation. Until
the conflict is regulated, I do not believe that such cooperation is
possible.