Public confidence is required for participation in the talks

19-03-2007 12:51:06 – KarabakhOpen

`I think we should wait until all the co-chairs confirm the
information released by their Russian colleague, and the foreign
ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan express their opinion,’ said
Vahram Atanesyan, chair of the Committee of External Relations, in an
interview with KarabakhOpen.com. The member of parliament commented on
the statement of the Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group on
granting a provisional status of Nagorno Karabakh.

`It is difficult to evaluate this. Considering the confidentiality of
the talks and the press release on the meeting in Geneva, I think the
Russian co-chair leaked this information to the press in an effort to
get the approach of the political forces and publics of the both
parties focused on this idea. I must say that the talks are more
serious than the political sets are trying to present. The opinion
that no essential questions are discussed during the talks is far from
the reality, I think. In particular, I mean the statement by Vardan
Oskanyan that during the meeting with Elmar Mammedyarov they discussed
the second layer of the underlying principles. These could be the
details related to the technical aspect of the settlement. And if the
second layer is being discussed, ostensibly there is already agreement
on the underlying principles. It means serious talks are underway,
which may be deciding, and result in what the Russian co-chair spoke
about. As to the question if a provisional status is favorable or
dangerous for Karabakh, I think it should not be addressed to separate
people. It should be discussed by the society. In this sense, we must
be ready for an important debate, and the outcome of the debate would
help us find out if we are ready for such a settlement. After
answering this question, we can attend to the details and nuances the
Russian co-chair hinted at.

No political force and especially individual can assume responsibility
for the settlement. A political force must have the trust of the
public, which would entitle it to participation in the talks. And one
can get public confidence only in case all the possible variants are
discussed by the public, and a common approach is reached, which is
accepted by the majority. I take into account the statement of the
French co-chair that Karabakh must take part in the talks in the stage
of deciding the status of NKR. However, I feel that the society in
Karabakh does not realize the reality of the settlement of Karabakh.’

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress