ICG: THERE IS REAL OPPORTUNITY TO PREVENT WAR IN KARABAKH

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.12.2007 17:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ If the OSCE Minsk Group could get the parties to the
Nagrono Karabakh conflict commit to a document on basic principles, it
would be a very valuable achievement, Sabine Freizer, the International
Crisis Group Europe program director writes in the The Boston Globe.

Even such a lowest common denominator agreement would help
minimize the Nagorno Karabakh issue in the 2008 elections in both
countries. Removing the temptation for politicians to play with
that fire during the campaign seasons will cool public resistance
to talks and ease the way for leaders to start proper negotiations
quickly afterward.

When war breaks out, the international community usually wakes up
too late. But what if we could stop a war before it starts? What if
we could run a test of prevention, on the ground, in a real situation?

We have that opportunity in the case of Nagorno Karabakh, where Armenia
and Azerbaijan are preparing to go to war. A real opportunity exists
to prevent an explosion before it happens.