KHOSROV HAROUTIUNIAN: TODAY INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MORE SPEAKS ABOUT SETTLEMENT
OF PROBLEM OF OCCUPIED TERRITORIES THAN NKR’S RIGHT OF SELF-DETERMINATION

Noyan Tapan
Dec 05 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. The sides involved in the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict – Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well
as Russia, U.S.

and European Union playing an influential part in the region
already realize the worst consequences of the problem’s not being
settled. Khosrov Haroutiunian, Chairman of the Christian-Democratic
Union of Armenia, expressed such an opinon at his December 5 meeting
with journalists. In his words, the necessity to make concessions has
matured. "One forms the impression that two out of three sides having
an influential position in the region – U.S. and EU are obviously
interested in settling the conflict," Kh.Haroutiunian declared. In
his words, after 2001 when U.S. was established in the Middle Asian
region, its political, economic and military influence increased
in the South Caucasus as well. And this, as the Chairman of the
Christian-Democratic Union of Armenia emphasized, also resulted
in strengthening of positions of U.S. and EU at the expense of
decrease of Russia’s influence. And Russia, in Kh.Haroutiunian’s
words, currently has to choose between "frozen conflicts in the South
Caucasus and NKR problem and has to decide which is more primary for
it." As he prognosed, Russia will consider as primary solution to
the problems of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The party leader said
that in difference to foreign forces, the Armenian and Azerbaijani
sides do not realize the necessity of compromises yet, which hampers
settlement of the problem. At present, in Kh.Haroutiunian’s words,
"absence of confidence between the sides" is also an obstacle and
nothing is done for liquidating it. And as third hampering circumstance
he mentioned that Armenia loses the information war, while thanks to
the efforts of the Azerbaijani media today the international community
more speaks about settlement of the problem of "occupied territories"
than the NKR’s right of self-determination.