V. KAZIMIROV: EXCLUDING POSSIBILITY OF WAR RESUMPTION IS MOST IMPORTANT
IN SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO KARABAKH PROBLEM

YEREVAN, MAY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Excluding the possibility of resumption
of hostilities is most important in the settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh problem, former co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, deputy
chairman of the Association of Russian Diplomats Vladimir Kazimirov
stated at the May 27 press conference. In his words, as long as the
Azerbaijani party hopes to gain revenge, while the Armenian parties try
to keep the most advantageous military positions for fear of military
operations’ resumption, any progress in the political settlement
process is impossible. V. Kazimirov expressed an opinion that it is
more important to reach an agreement on the conflict’s settlement in an
exclusively peaceful way than by raising the issues related to return
of territories or refugees. "I do not quite understand the Armenian
parties that agree to discuss the issue of Karabakh’s status 10-15
years later. The positions here are so definite that 5 years would be
enough," he said.

As for the agreement about a cease-fire on the Armenian-Azerbaijani
contact line, which was reached 14 years ago, V. Kazimirov stated that
in addition the protocol signed in Bishkek on May 5, which is much
spoken about now, there are another 2 documents to have created a basis
for this: the statement on Nagorno Karabakh conflict, which was adopted
by the heads of CIS member states in April 1994, and the document on
maintaining the cease-fire, which was signed by the heads of the
military departments of the three conflict parties. V. Kazimirov
underlined that no date is given in the document on maintaining the
cease-fire, which was signed in Baku on May 9, 1994, in Yerevan – on
May 10 and in Stepanakert on May 11.

The former co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group noted that he is critical
of not as much the Minsk Group which has become an advisory body as of
its co-chairs. According to him, the matter of the parties’ coming to
an agreement on the conflict settlement ideas – which are now being
discussed – is still in question and requires a long time at the best.
Its implementation is in question even in case of signing the
respective agreement. Whereas, along with discussing the common ideas
about the settlement, the parties may reach an agreement on small
issues and solve some problems of autonomous importance: preservation
of monuments, water supply, and environmental issues.