ACCORDING TO VAHRAM ATANESIAN, PROSPECT OF NAGORNO KARABAKH PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT REMAINS VAGUE
Editor: Eghian Robert

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 26 2007

STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 26, NOYAN TAPAN. After the 2008 presidential
elections Azerbaijan will not change its position in the negotiations
process. Vahram Atanesian, the Chairman of the NKR National Assembly’s
Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, assured in his interview to
Noyan Tapan correspondent. According to him, one forms an impression
that in the current situation Azerbaijan has made its position stricter
and does not accept the settlement principles, which are offered by
the mediators. Therefore, according to V. Atanesian, the prospect of
problem’s peaceful settlement remains vague.

In the deputy’s opinion, there will be no meetings either at the level
of Azeri and Armenian Presidents or Foreign Ministers in the future,
which means that there are no new verges of contacts in the parties’
approaches.

"Some experts and politicians, of course, are inclined to comment
Azerbaijan’s negotiations position by that country’s home political
developments, but I think that it should not be considered as the
main factor," V. Atanesian emphasized. According to him, it is more
probable that Azerbaijan is becoming rather an influential regional
country, which inspires it a temptation of Nagorno Karabakh problem’s
one-sided solution in favor of itself. This, according to V.

Atanesian, is reflected in statements of all figures representing
Azerbaijan’s whole political spectrum.

As a positive tendency V. Atanesian mentioned the fact that some
statements of Minsk Group Co-chairmen contain hints that Karabakh
party’s being involved in the negotiations becomes a necessity.