PUBLICS ARE NOT INVOLVED
KarabakhOpen
19-09-2007 10:10:25
An international conference entitled European Security and the South
Caucasus was held in Armenia on September 13 to 16. The event was
organized by CONCORD (Armenia) and funded by the foreign ministry
of Finland.
The ambassadors of Finland, France, Poland, India, Ukraine,
representatives of the OSCE, Turkey, scholars from Russia,
representatives of Armenian, Georgian, Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh,
Abkhazian and South Ossetian NGOs participated in the conference. From
NKR, the director of the Civic Action Center NGO Albert Voskanyan
was invited.
The conference discussed the policy of the European community and
stability in the South Caucasus, security in the South Caucasus and
a new Europe, the conflicts and new relations in the South Caucasus
and other questions.
Albert Voskanyan said in his speech 13 years have passed since the
war ended but there is still potential for a peace settlement. "The
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan meet and discuss the options…
Apparently, however, none of the sides involves the public in
conflict solution. One of the sides is ready to use force to resolve
the conflict, the other is ready to defend itself. These are not the
right stances since we are wasting precious time: work with publics
could go on along with the peace talks. Sooner or later the presidents
will sign peace, meanwhile the publics and not the presidents are to
observe the points of the document," said Albert Voskanyan.
Recently a group of Armenian and Azerbaijani activists visited
NKR, Armenia and Azerbaijan, which was much like a secret military
operation, and the publics of these countries learned about it after
the visit, the human rights activist added.