KOCHARIAN NOT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT KARABAKH CONFLICT SOLUTION PROSPECTS

ARMENPRESS
Nov 7, 2007

HELSINKI, NOVEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS: Armenian president Robert Kocharian
did not sound optimistic about the prospects for solving the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict after a meeting with students of Alexanter
Institute in Helsinki, Finland.

Speaking to journalists he said the impression from a draft framework
agreement being negotiated now by the sides is that the bigger
part of the road (to peace) has been made. He said there remain
disagreements over 3-4 fundamental questions, which, according to
him, are of technical nature and part of which can be agreed upon
without difficulties.

But he said Azerbaijan’s arms race, its war rhetoric and constant
threats create the impression that there are two different projects.

He said there is a possibility of a state-by-stage solution, but
that, according to him, could take place during the implementation
process. Kocharian said there should be no preconditions, such as
return of territories and only then a discussion of Nagorno-Karabakh’s
status.

"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," he noted.

"The conflict should be solved by a fully agreed package, and
implementation of some of its final components may be delayed because
of technical, political, objective and subjective reasons," he said.

He said Armenia demands that Nagorno-Karabakh has an overland
connection with Armenia. "It is apparent that Nagorno-Karabakh will
not be able to survive as an enclave," he said.

Finland will push for a solution to the conflict between Armenia
and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh when it takes over the OSCE
presidency next year, its president Tarja Halonen said Tuesday.

"We’ll do our utmost to strengthen the process concerning
Nagorno-Karabakh and we are cautiously optimistic that we can
push forward the process in a positive way during our presidency,"
Halonen told a press conference following a meeting with her Armenian
counterpart Robert Kocharian.

"Being a very cautious person, I do not say that we can solve it,
but why not? At least (we will) push forward strongly," she added.

Finland is set to take over the rotating presidency of the 55-member
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 2008.