HOPEFULLY ICG WILL MAKE EFFORTS FOR MANAGEMENT OF CRISES RATHER THAN THEIR ESCALATION

KarabakhOpen
03-12-2007 10:34:12

The NKR foreign ministry commented on the ICG report "Nagorno-Karabakh:
Risking War" issued on November 14, for the Demo Newspaper. According
to the NKR foreign ministry, the report is highly professional and
is based on considerable scientific, media and other literature on
the conflict, as well as interviews with the representatives of the
government of the conflict sides, experts and diplomats.

"Unfortunately, the report has also inherited the negative aspects of
the previous reports, namely the authors present the conflict as a
territorial dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia, downplaying the
role and importance of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in the settlement
and reducing it to the level of an object of a territorial dispute,
saying nothing about the problems of Armenian refugees and the occupied
territories of NKR (Shahumyan, part of Martakert and Martuni regions),
blaming the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides equally," runs the comment
of the foreign ministry.

According to the ministry, the report intentionally ignored most
important issues, approaches and goals of NKR toward the settlement of
the Karabakh-Azerbaijani conflict. Appearing when the Prague process
has reached a deadlock, the report urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to sign
framework agreements without NKR, despite disagreement on key issues,
persuades the sides of the conflict, namely Armenia and NKR that the
alternative to this decision is war, and says the plan proposed by
the OSCE Minsk Group is the best option, based on compromise.

According to the foreign ministry, the ICG presents the idea of
granting status of NKR in distant future as a positive factor and a
compromise to Nagorno-Karabakh, at the same time ignoring the fact
that the status of NKR as an independent state has already been
determined, and the determination of status is the indivisible right
of the people of NKR and no one else’s. In addition, the authors of
the report on Kosovo issued on August 21 say any delay of granting
independence to Kosovo means frustration of the expectations of
people living there. "The ICG report on Nagorno-Karabakh ignores
the logic and principles applied to the settlement of Kosovo. The
ICG reports on Kosovo distinctly state the necessity for recognition
of the independence of Kosovo as soon as possible," the comment of
the foreign ministry runs. According to the foreign ministry, NKR is
interested in argumentation in favor of the independence of Kosovo:
the conflict has been protracted, there is no point in waiting any more
when the parties cannot even approach a compromise. Kosovo defies delay
because if protracted the problem will escalate, and independence is
the best option for the prevention of escalation. It is also applicable
to the Karabakh-Azerbaijani conflict, the NKR foreign ministry holds.

The report focuses on the risk of war. The authors acknowledge that
Azerbaijan poses threat to peace in the region. Nevertheless, they
offer a resolution based on unilateral compromise on behalf of NKR,
namely withdrawal from territories and agreement to hold a referendum
in future.

"In addition, the authors of the report think the referendum should
give "Baku a sense of security the referendum will not necessarily
result in Karabakh’s secession and Armenians some reason to believe
Karabakh independence is a real possibility." This makes think that the
authors fail to realize the responsibility of people and structures
willing to make mediation efforts. The proposal of the ICG to force
through the negotiations in detriment to the security of NKR in the
absence of mechanisms of prevention of the conflict may well lead
to escalation.

We would like to hope that the ICG will make efforts for management
of crises rather than their escalation," the foreign ministry states.