AZG Armenian Daily #006, 15/01/2008

Karabakh Conflict

WAR PREVENTION TO BE INSURED IN 2005, KAZIMIROV SAYS

Head of the Union of Russian Diplomats Vladimir
Kazmirov said he sees no perspectives of progress on
Karabakh conflict in 2008.

"One has to be very bold to hope for something in
2008. Many people said that 2006 was a `window of
opportunities’. Now, I deem, is the time to think
about making any use of the `window of no
opportunities’, taking into consideration the
elections in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, USA, the
situation in Kosovo, and so on," he said on the
"Expanded Black Sea Region" science conference in
Yerevan.

The Russian expert added that the talks on
Nagorno-Karabakh are in a stalemate. He stated that
the most essential problems in
Armenia-Azerbaijan-Karabakh relationships remain
unresolved. "I would be glad If I had been wrong, and
I would be the first person to leap with joy in case
any progress is registered in 2008. But one should not
count on that.

According to Kazimirov, each side of the conflict has
its own priorities. The priority of Armenia and
Karabakh is the definition of the status of the NKR,
Azerbaijan’s priority is the withdrawal of armed
forces from the occupied territories and the
liberation of the prisoners of war. The international
society must first of all be interested in preventing
a new war in the region.

Kazimirov said that although the possibility of a new
war seems rather dim at the moment, it has a number of
real aspects. To his opinion in 2008 all measures
should be taken to prevent any possibility of war. It
is better to take preventive measures rather to try to
amend the evil that has been already done, he said,
criticizing the OSCE Minsk Group for often adhering to
the latter principle.

By A. Haroutiunian, translated by A.M

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress