IT WILL TAKE MUCH TIME FOR ARMENIA TO RESTORE REAL PICTURE OF NAGORNO KARABAKH PROBLEM, ALEXANDER MANASIAN CONSIDERS

Noyan Tapan

Nov 17, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The bilateral negotiations
over the Nagorno Karabakh conflict rather remind of discussions
or consultations, and the real negotiations will proceed when
a representative of Karabakh also takes part in them. Political
scientist Alexander Manasian, the Chairman of the Academy of Political
Studies NGO, stated at the November 17 press conference. In his words,
several years ago OSCE had established that the third side, Karabakh,
should also take part in the negotiations process, but some time later,
under the pressure by the Azeri side, Minsk Group Co-chairs started to
organize bilateral meetings between Armenia and Azerbaijan at the level
of the Presidents or Foreign Ministers. In any case, according to A.

Manasian, it is reassuring that Minsk Group French Co-chair Bernard
Fassier said lately that every time he and his colleagues visit
Karabakh not only to drink mulberry vodka, but also to inform NKR
representatives of the negotiations process.

According to the political scientist, the Moscow declaration would
not be signed but for the latest developments over South Ossetia,
in particular, the Russian-Georgian armed conflict. "All tripartite
documents have been signed on Russia’s initiative so far. It means
that this country has an exact role in the Caucasus," A. Manasian
said. And the positive peculiarity of the the proper Declaration,
according to him, is that according to the Declaration, the conflict
settlement should be done on the basis of documents adopted in the
sphere of the international law so far.

As A. Manasian classed it, today the essence of the Nagorno Karabakh
problem is misrepresented, and the international community has no
idea about its real content. Under the conditions Azerbaijan wants to
take advantage and to achieve a quick settlement, but Armenia should
exert efforts in the direction of restoring problem’s real picture,
which will require much time.