ARIF YUNUSOV: TALKS ON KARABAKH WILL LAST LONG BUT THERE WILL BE NO WAR
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.08.2008 17:34 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Talks on Karabakh will last for many years without
any result but there will be no war, said Arif Yunusov, head of the
Department of Conflictology at the Institute for Peace and Democracy.
"The problem is that each side drags out time, although the talks in
the Prague process framework are more favorable for Armenians. The
process envisages that Armenia returns three regions, then two
more regions. Kelbajar and Lachin will be returned at the end,
simultaneously with the return of refugees to Karabakh. In exchange,
Azerbaijan is supposed to give consent to conduction of a referendum
on Karabakh’s status in 10-15 years," he said.
Agreeing to these principles in 2004, the Azeri side made a mistake,
according to Yunusov. "It was erroneous to think that things can
change in 10-15 years," he said. "A huge gap between positions of
the sides hampers the process."
"The Armenian position is as follows: in some 10 or 15 years the
West’s investments in the Azeri oil will be compensated and the Kosovo
model will be applied to Karabakh while Azerbaijan will yield to
the West’s pressure and relinquish the territory. The Azeri position
implies exhausting armament race that will bring to collapse of poor
Armenian economy," Yunusov said, adding that the Azeri authorities
will not agree to the Prague principles while western investments
in the Azeri economy will prevent any possibility of war, Novosti
Azerbaijan reports.