SOUTH CAUCASUS SENSITIVE TO GEOPOLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.10.2009 18:27 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The South Caucasus region is directly involved
in the sphere of strategic interests of Russia, the U.S., EU, OSCE,
NATO and the Collective Security Treaty Organization and sensitive
to changes in the relationship between these centers of power, Hayk
Kotanjyan told a Black Sea Security Basin conference the Head of the
Institute for National Strategic Studies of the RA Defense ministry.

In his opinion, the prospects for peace and security in the Caucasus
are Madrid principles of the Karabakh settlement based on "the paradigm
of war."

He stressed that Armenia participating in various organizations
of international security has adopted a balanced approach, its
foreign policy initiatives are aimed at increasing the capacity for
international support for the stability in South Caucasus.

"The encouraging factor of non-renewal of war in Karabakh, which would
undermine the regional security, is the consent of the conflicting
parties with the proposal of the OSCE Minsk Group to adopt three
main provisions of the UN Charter as basic principles of resolution
of the Karabakh conflict: nonuse of force, territorial integrity and
self-determination of nations.

The peaceful process in the South Caucasus is affected by the
continuous dialogue between heads of states of Armenia and Azerbaijan,
and support of presidents of Russia, the United States and France,
as well as advice from the co-chairs of the Minsk Group.

Paradigm of war " rather than" the paradigm of peace is in the basis
of the settlement and resolution of the Karabakh conflict, he said.

This approach keeps the peaceful resolution of the conflict in the
counter-format "the threat of renewed war". To a large extent this
can be explained by the fact that the Azerbaijani side as the basic
compromise submits its willingness not to resume hostilities.

"This approach, based on "the paradigm of war", lacks incentives
for Azerbaijan to counter equivalent compromise aimed at realistic
advancement towards lasting peace. This may explain the repeated abuse
of the Azerbaijani side of the ceiling of offensive arms established by
the CFE Treaty, as well as the open propaganda of intensive preparation
of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan to the resumption of war, not only
for the domestic audience, but also at the international tribune,
" Mr. Kotanjyan said.

However, he stressed that uninterrupted dialogue between Serzh Sargsyan
and Ilham Aliyev is an important tool to resolve the Karabakh conflict,
in regard to establishing the atmosphere of mutual understanding and
trust in the region.

"A productive dialogue between the U.S. and Russia, President Barack
Obama and Dmitry Medvedev, on the basis of "a paradigm of peace "
and the principle of "smart power " opens a unique opportunity for
the South Caucasus countries to contribute to the construction of
balanced regional security, creating conditions for lasting peace
secured through the equivalent mutual compromise, as well as programs
for regional and trans-regional cooperation, " Hayk Kotanjyan stressed.