PRESIDENT KOCHARYAN NOT VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT RESOLUTION OF THE KARABAKH CONFLICT

armradio.am
07.11.2007 12:26

"I’m not very optimistic about the resolution of the Karabakh
conflict," Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said yesterday after the
speech at the Alexander Institute of the Helsinki University. According
to him, if we consider the project under discussion, an impression
will be created that most of the way has been passed. The principal
disagreements are on 3-4 issues, some of which, according to the
President, are of technical character, and agreement on these is
possible. However, what is happening in reality – arms race, military
rhetoric, constant threats, creates the impression that the question
refers to two completely different projects. "This is a movement in
different directions: the document is brought to some reasonable shape,
but what is happening in reality is quite a different process. That
is why I’m not that optimistic," RA President noted.

In his words, there is a brilliant opportunity to resolve the issue,
but it can be done in the process of implementation. There must be no
preconditions like return of territories before discussing the issue
of status. There must be a fully agreed package, the accomplishment
of which can be hampered by technical and political, objective and
subjective reasons. The issue of territories is also part of the
package. But the question does not refer to all territories: one of
the demands of the Armenian side is that Nagorno Karabakh must have
land communication with Armenia. It’s obvious that Nagorno Karabakh
cannot exist as an enclave.

Asked whether there is any connection between the conflicts existing in
the South Caucasus, the Armenian President noted that the similarity
is that all of these conflicts are the immediate consequence of
the collapse of USSR and the Socialist camp in general. As a rule,
such processes occur in periods of global changes. "I’m confident
that the solution of these conflicts is not interrelated, although
I think that their solution will bring to fewer problems than their
protraction or freezing," Robert Kocharyan noted.

There is the approach that if one of the conflicts, i.e. Kosovo,
is solved, it will lead to a chain reaction. "I’m assured that all
the conflicts that could have emerged for this point, have already
broken out.

It’s simply necessary to think about normal, reasonable
solutions. There is no direct connection between these," the Armenian
President noted.