IN STEPANAKERT THE POSSIBILITY OF SETTING UP RELATIONS WITH KOSOVO WAS DISCUSSED

KarabakhOpen
12-06-2008 11:39:22

Parallels between Kosovo and Karabakh and the mechanism of recognition
of independence on the Kosovo model were discussed a few days ago in
Stepanakert. The discussion was initiated by the Open Society NGO. The
round-table meeting was conducted by the chair of the European
Integration NGO (Armenia) Karen Bekaryan. The representatives of
the parliament, the foreign ministry, NGOs, experts took part in
the discussion.

With regard to the recognition of Kosovo, Karen Bekaryan said as a
result of developments regarding this process the most pro-Russian
nation suffered which will affect the process in the South Caucasus
in the sense of sustaining the interests of the West. As a result,
Karen Bekaryan says, Serbia suffered great losses and was nevertheless
involved in the process of European integration but without any
expectation from Russia.

"There is the danger of application of the Serbian, more exactly the
Yugoslavian model, to the South Caucasus. Having a number of internal
problems, we can appear in the shoes of Yugoslavian Serbia. There is
such danger, and it is necessary to be aware of it and to define the
political agenda clearly," Karen Bekaryan said.

With regard to parallels, Karen Bekaryan said unlike the Armenian
states, Kosovo was able to gain independence during this process and
avoid the Albanian factor. "Everything was done for the Kosovo elite
not to become part of the Albanian elite, unlike Armenia. And it
is not accidental that at some point Karabakh was not participating
in the talks. Kosovo was able to avoid this and get a trump card,"
Karen Bekaryan said.

And if in our case Armenia is perceived and presented as the guarantor
of security of Karabakh, in the case of Kosovo Albania has never
been perceived as such. Therefore, the world offered guarantees to
Kosovo, the UN and the European organizations. And this was inevitably
reflected in the process of settlement.

"Therefore the UN resolutions on Kosovo were guarantees of security and
humanitarian issues, and in our case the restoration of territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan. It would be ingenuous to view the problems
on the legal level because it is obviously a political issue. In the
point of view of the political interests if the West, the recognition
of independence of Karabakh has not ripened. As soon as it ripens,
all the hindrances will be easily overcome," the expert said.

Among one of the steps it was offered to set up relations between
Karabakh and Kosovo.