LONG TIMEOUT IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
Naira Hayrumyan

KarabakhOpen
21-01-2008 12:44:13

The visit of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to the region
ended. Apparently, the same staff will not arrive in Karabakh and
meet with the government of Armenia. The Armenian foreign minister
Vardan Oskanyan has stated that after February 20 both the Armenian
government and the co-chairs will change.

After the visit the co-chairs stated there will be a timeout in
the settlement of the Karabakh conflict till the end of this year,
at least until the presidential election in Azerbaijan this fall.

At which point of the talks was timeout declared? Apparently, zero. At
least, the co-chairs have not settled the main intrigue of the Karabakh
conflict – how to solve the controversy over the two main principles –
self-determination and territorial integrity.

The U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza stated
after the meeting with the Armenian government if the independence
of a territorial unit is recognized every time the issue
of self-determination is raised, another provision of the act of
Helsinki will be violated, the principle of territorial integrity. He
underlined that there are a number of territorial units in France,
Spain and even Russia which demand autonomy and independence. The role
of the mediators is to find a way out of the situation considering the
international acts, namely on the use of force, as well as regarding
Kosovo, Bryza said.

As soon as it became clear that the talks have come to a halt, and
a diplomatic vacuum has occurred, "realistic" statements resumed
in Azerbaijan. President Aliyev, solving all the questions with
Karabakh, reached for Armenia as well, stating that Armenians are
guests in Yerevan.

Apparently, aggressive statements will continue. The countries
will aspire to score as many "points" as possible before the talks
resume. Only it is not known whether efforts will be made to observe
the only realistic principle of the final act of Helsinki about the
use of force.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress