KARABAKH: CONFLICT WITH EMPHASIS ON SOLUTION BY STRENGTH OF ARMS
DEFENSE and SECURITY
March 28, 2008 Friday
Russia
AN INTERVIEW WITH EX-CHAIRMAN OF THE OSCE MINSK GROUP VLADIMIR
KAZIMIROV; An interview with ex-Chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group
Vladimir Kazimirov.
An exclusive interview with ex-Chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group
Vladimir Kazimirov, Assistant Chairman of the Russian Diplomatic
Association.
Question: Your opinion of Resolution of the 62nd Session of the
UN General Assembly "On occupied territories of Azerbaijan" that
essentially reiterates territorial integrity of this country within
internationally recognized borders?
Vladimir Kazimirov: That’s a question that calls for a comprehensive
answer. The situation is fairly equivocal. The resolution was adopted
and that’s a fact. A look at how UN members voted, however, does
reveal that the triumph is not as decisive at all. On the one hand,
all UN members are equal. On the other, they all carry different
weights. Over 30 members of the Islamic Conference Organization voted
"aye", but the Islamic Conference Organization includes 57 member
states and it has always stood by Azerbaijan in the conflict over
Karabakh. One hundred UN members including the European Union and
People’s Republic of China abstained and 46 states wouldn’t vote at
all. In other words 153 UN members out of 192 (four fifths, in other
words) wouldn’t associate themselves with the resolution. Moreover,
7 of them voted against the resolution, and this group included the
world powers directly involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh talks. I mean
chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group (Russia, United States, and France).
Aware of it all, official Baku is trying to turn the tables and get
the most from the resolution. Hence the irritation vented against
intermediaries, hence the threats to even the score with whoever
voted contrary to Azerbaijan’s wishes.
Question: What effect may existence of the resolution have on the
Karabakh solution?
Vladimir Kazimirov: What I’ve said about how UN members voted plainly
shows the futility of presenting the resolution as a synonym of the
will of the international community. Or the futility of continuing
the talks on the basis of this clearly unilateral resolution for that
matter. It is definitely wrong when one warring party dictates terms
to all others. It only happens when someone capitulates.
Question: The OSCE Minsk Group voted against the resolution. Do you
think official Baku may decide to do without foreign intermediaries
as the central players in the process?
Vladimir Kazimirov: It is the warring sides that are central, not
intermediaries. As for the speculations on the possibility of doing
without intermediaries, I hope that we all know better. By and large,
it will only mean suspension of negotiations with unpredictable
results. It will mean a dead-end.
Question: What effect will election of the new president of Armenia
have on the negotiations?
Vladimir Kazimirov: I do not expect it to have any dramatic effect
on the talks.
Question: Do you think the Kosovo precedent may have any effect on
the eventual solution to the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh?
Vladimir Kazimirov: Precedents are to be taken into account of
course, but I wouldn’t say that the part they are playing is
decisive. Specifics are what counts, specifics of the day and the
region, specifics of the conflict, its cause, its course, and its
outcome. In fact, no other local conflict can match this one’s
predilection for a solution by a sheer strength of arms professed
by supreme state officials. No other conflict can match this one in
frequency of skirmishes, in soaring war expenses (in Azerbaijan),
misbalance of economies and military budgets of the involved states.
It is this misbalance that gives ideas and breeds dangerous temptations
and illusions.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
