THIRD ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI PUBLIC PEACEMAKING FORUM IS CONSTRUCTIVE: EXPERT

Trend
March 25 2009
Azerbaijan

Manager of the International Alert projects for Eurasia region
Dessislava Roussanova believes that the third Armenian-Azerbaijani
public peacemaking forum to support peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was constructive.

"The discussion was very constructive, the tone was extremely
positive. There was a desire among many that this collaboration between
civil society and the mediators should become a regular cooperation,"
the International Alert said.

The Armenian-Azerbaijani Forum titled, "Security: challenges and
opportunities, as well as mechanisms to establish trust" is being
held under the mediation of International Alert in Vienna on March
24-27. Participants of the forum are Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders
of civil society, experts and intellectuals from all sides in the
conflict. The forum is also attended by the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew
Bryza (U.S.), Bernard Fassier (France) and Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia).

Roussanova said that The three Co-Chairmen had a united message to
the Forum – war is not an option. But the Co-Chairmen were there
not just to deliver their messages. They were there to listen, to
engage in dialogue, and to discuss very frankly with civil society
issues and aspects of the Nagorno-Karabakh peacebuiding process and
the possible role that civil society could play in it".

The Armenian and Azerbaijani participants discussed their views
on challenges and possibilities to increase the level of trust and
confidence between the societies involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. "The debate was absolutely open. Everybody present was
expressing their views. There were some opinions which were far from
each other, this was expected. But there were also a lot of shared
ideas. The tone of the dialogue was most of the time very constructive,
Roussanova, said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7
districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed
a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia,
France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.