OPTIMISM OF THE OSCE MINSK GROUP SEEMS GROUNDLESS
By Aghavni Haroutiunian

AZG Armenian Daily
04/02/2009

Karabakh conflict

Whereas Helsinki is followed by Zurich

On January 28, the third meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani
Presidents was held in Zurich (Switzerland). OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs
Matthew Bryza (USA), Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia) and Bernard Fassier
(France), the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office
Andrzej Kasprzyk also participated in the meeting. The meeting
was preceded by the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers’
meeting. In essence, the meeting of the Presidents also took place
in the presence of the FMs of the two countries.

Before the Zurich meeting, it was mentioned, especially at the level
of the OSCE MG Co-chairs, that there is a progress in the settlement
of Karabakh conflict. More concretely, the Co-chairs mentioned that
there is an agreement on some of Madrid principles.

It is noteworthy that after the Zurich meeting Armenian and Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministers answering the questions of the Armenian journalists
cautiously spoke of the comprehension of some of the principles and
not the agreed ones.

Moreover, both the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers
underlined that comprehension of some of the principles did not mean
that they were agreed.

Though the responses to the meeting are not clear yet, the sides
have already made some announcements that are not in the nature of a
compromise. It’s worth to mention that for the present the Azerbaijani
announcements don’t have their warlike notes.

Mainly, the Azerbaijani President a few days after the January 28
meeting in an interview to the Wall Street Journal announced that the
Karabakh conflict should be settled "based on the UN resolution of
withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories
of Azerbaijan".

According to Interfax-Azerbaijan news agency, this attitude of Aliyev
is explained by the fact that the process of Karabakh conflict
settlement should be based on the UN resolution – a normative of
the international law. But they forget of a fact that just a few
days before it the meeting of the Presidents was held in the Minsk
Group format, and in general, the negotiation process is observed and
conducted in the Minsk Group format and not in the framework of the UN.

According to Aliyev, recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by
Russia cannot be a precedent for Karabakh issue.

Armenian President Serge Sargsian in its turn announced that Armenian
position on Karabakh conflict settlement is clear and unequivocal
– international recognition of Nagorno Karabakh people’s right to
self-determination. According to RA President’s press service, the
above-mentioned announcement was made during Serzh Sargsian’s meeting
with the representatives of the Armenian community in Zurich.

"The stories that some people try to tell that we will make unilateral
concessions to Karabakh issue for this or that purpose or acting
under this or that pressure do not correspond to reality", Armenian
President underlined adding that Armenia cannot sacrifice its national
aim, the general issue in order to solve certain secondary issue.