GORAN LENNMARKER IN INTERVIEW: ‘GOOD POSSIBILITY’ FOR SOLUTION ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH

ArmInfo
2009-02-06 13:15:00

ArmInfo. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative
on Nagorno-Karabakh and Special Envoy to Georgia, Goran Lennmarker,
said that there is a "good possibility" for the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict to be solved this year, but "time is scarce" and it is now
"critically important to seize the opportunity."

Mr. Lennmarker, President Emeritus of the OSCE PA, will visit all three
countries in the South Caucasus next week. He made the statement in
an interview for the OSCE PA web site () published today.

Goran Lennmarker said the purpose of the visit is to meet with the
leadership of the three countries of the Southern Caucasus – the
Parliaments, the Governments, the Presidents, as well as with NGOs,
and to discuss the situation in general in the three countries in the
Southern Caucasus, and particularly the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with
the Armenians and Azerbaijanis, and the conflicts in South Ossetia
and Abkhazia with the Georgians. ‘I hope the result will be positive
signals that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is on its way to a peaceful
resolution, where the two countries, Armenia and Azerbaijan, are
prepared to agree on a solution that is mutually beneficial for both
of them, particularly for the peoples of the two countries, especially
the refugees and the internally displaced persons (IDPs)’, he said.

Asked if Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be solved in 2009,
G. Lennmarker said: ‘ I think there is a good possibility for
that. It is very much up to the leadership of the two countries to
take responsibility for resolving it.

We from the outside can support and help and also give support
after a solution. But it’s the responsibility of the two countries,
particularly the leadership and also the two parliaments to actually
reach a peaceful solution.

But I would like to add something about time. Time is a scarce
commodity. I think it’s important that solutions are reached early-on
because dragging on and on, the situation on the ground deteriorates
and people have less and less hope. There is a feeling that you
negotiate and you negotiate and nothing happens – a lot of talk,
delegations come, but nothing is delivered. And this reflects not
only on us from the international side, but also on the national
leadership at the political level. And I think that is critically
important now to seize the opportunity. Time is not unlimited’.

As regards the future development of Armenia and Azerbaijan in case the
conflict is resolved, Goran Lennmarker said: ‘I think that would give
an enormous impetus to the two countries in all aspects of societal
life. First of all, things that actually reflect on the conflict itself
– refugees, IDPs, not least the number of young men who now spend
months and months in the trenches who could be relieved and do other
things – studies, useful work, and the economy that is afflicted by the
conflict. But also in the broader sense, the societies at large, not
to have politics in both countries fixated on the conflict, but could
use their political energy to develop their nations, their democracy,
their economy, and their co-operation with the outside world, and
particularly with themselves. That would give an enormous boost.

That is, of course, our European experience, going from a situation
with conflict to a situation of co-operation, even between countries
which sometimes have hundreds of years of conflict behind them. We
know from our European experience that it is extremely important’.