MADRID PROPOSALS FOR NAGORNO-KARABAKH SETTLEMENT NOT THOUGHT-OUT

ARKA
June 11, 2008

YEREVAN, June 11. /ARKA/. The Madrid proposals for the Nagorno-Karabakh
peace process are not well thought-out, stated Sergey Markedonov,
Head of the International Relations Department, Institute of Political
and Military Analysis.

Last November, in Madrid, Spain, The Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk
Group submitted fundamental principles of a peaceful settlement
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to the Armenian and Azerbaijani
Presidents. The Co-Chairmen believe the Madrid proposals to be fair
and balanced.

"The Madrid proposals contain very many `raw’ points, too many
issues are not properly worked up," Markedonov stated during a
Moscow-Yerevan-Baku space bridge.

The political scientist pointed out that now he has more questions
concerning the proposals submitted at last year’s summit than ready
answers.

"So we cannot say that they can serve as a basis for settlement. It
is only the public demand for this peace and compromise that can be
such a basis," Markedonov.

Chairman of the National-Democratic Party of Armenia Shavarsah
Kocharyan pointed out that, whether as part of the Prague process
or the Minsk documents, it is only the sides’ viewpoints that are
presented each time.

"This is our problem, and I cannot see any progress. The most
important thing is that there is a document that serves as a basis
for negotiations.

However, as long as the sides’ positions remain unchanged, I do not
think that any serious positive changes may take place," Sh. Kocharyan
said.

Since 1992, negotiations for a peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have been held within the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chaired by the USA, Russia and France.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress