STEPAN GRIGORYAN DOES NOT EXPECT A BREAKTHROUGH FROM TOMORROW’S MEETING OF PRESIDENTS
Alisa Gevorgyan

"Radiolur"
03.06.2009 15:57

"Armenia and Azerbaijan should start negotiating a peace treaty, it
will be one of the most important achievements of the negotiations
process for both parties," head of the Analytical Centre on
Globalization and Regional Cooperation Stepan Grigoryan told a press
conference today.

War, peace imposed by international forces or peace talks: these are
the three main ways of conflict resolution known to the civilized
world.

Political scientist Stepan Grigoryan considers that the last option
is the most suitable for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

The political scientist appreciates the fact that the negotiation
process between Armenia and Azerbaijan is finally resuming after a
long break.

"Of course, there were meetings, but there was no negotiation process
as such," he said.

Stepan Grigoryan is assured that it’s high time to lay greater emphasis
on the issues of Armenian refugees and involving Artsakh as a party
to the talks. As for tomorrow’s meeting of the Armenian and Azeri
leaders in Saint Petersburg, the political scientist does not expect
a breakthrough.

"Once again they will speak about the referendum and the right of
the Karabakhi people to self-determination. An attempt will be made
to convince the Armen ian side and present the advantages we will
have in case of opening of the Armenian-Turkish border. But I’m
sure that the position of the Armenian side will be very clear: the
Armenian-Turkish relations and economic issues should not be linked
to the Karabakh issue," Stepan Grigoryan said.

However, Stepan Grigoryan is assured that there will be no essential
changes after tomorrow’s meeting. "The parties will meet in a friendly
atmosphere and will get parted. Upon their return to Baku Azeris will
probably declare that the Armenian side started to understand them
but failed to be maximally constructive," he said.