WE NEED TO APPROACH KOCHARIAN-ALIYEV MEETING WITH CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM
By Marietta Khachatrian

AZG Armenian Daily
23/11/2006

Parliament Speaker of Nagorno Karabakh Thinks

On October 21, a sitting of Armenia-NKR interparliamentary commission
took place at the National Assembly, after which speakers Tigran
Torosian and Ashot Ghulian said that the discussions during the
sitting were useful and productive. The next sitting is due to
take place in Stepanakert in spring. The most urgent issue on the
agenda of the Yerevan sitting was regulation of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. Discussion of this issue was held behind the closed doors
thus exciting journalists’ curiosity.

Asked whether the principles on the table of negotiations are
acceptable and what’s Mr. Ghulian’s attitude to statements that the
Armenian side is ready to hand over 6 liberated territories and keep
negotiating over Lachin. In Ashot Ghulian’s words, there was no such
statement; the principals include all issues that suggest an all-round
solution but it’s hard to say more about the any of the principles
as the process is under the wraps.

Speaking about expectations from the upcoming Kocharian-Aliyev meeting,
Mr. Ghulian said that every meeting of the presidents was preceded by
both optimistic and pessimistic forecasts. In this sense there is hope
in the upcoming meeting, too, but in view of the recent developments
one needs to approach Kocharian-Aliyev meeting with cautious optimism.

Tigran Torosian, on his part, does not have great expectations
as many factors display Azerbaijan’s real stance in conflict
regulation. "If a country keeps on preaching hatred and does not give
up military rhetoric, I don’t think that it is ready for conflict
regulation. Besides, we have witnessed that behind the closed doors
the Azeris give their consent to different approaches but as soon as
the process gradually becomes public they reject these approaches.

Given this situation, even a tiny progress can be considered a
success. But I am sure there will be no final clarification."

Asked by daily Azg when the time will ripe for Nagorno Karabakh to
join the talks process, Ashot Ghulian said: "When Azerbaijan really
becomes mature enough for settlement not only in terms of political
will and not mere desire, will Nagorno Karabakh join the talks.

Karabakh’s participation cannot be an end in itself.

That is we should not simply take part in the talks to say that
Karabakh is also a side in the negotiations…

Today’s situation stems from Azerbaijan’s pretensions.

Karabakh will surely become a side in the talks at some point in time,
and that will show that the talks process have entered a practical
stage of regulation."