NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: NATO WILL NOT PLAY A ROLE OF ITS OWN IN THE MEDIATION

ArmInfo
2009-11-04 14:06:00

ArmInfo. NATO is indeed very concerned with the conflicts in the
South Caucasus, says NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in
an interview with Day.az.

"It is vital that these conflicts be resolved peacefully and within a
reasonable timeframe. Regarding Nagorno-Karabakh, I very much welcome
and support the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group to assist Armenia and
Azerbaijan to find a settlement to this conflict. Recently, these
efforts have gathered momentum and I hope that we will see further
progress. NATO will not play a role of its own in the mediation,
but we will use our political dialogue with both parties to promote
a peaceful solution to the conflict," he says.

Asked about possible role of NATO in peacemaking in Karabakh, he says:
"It would be hypothetical to address the question of a possible NATO
role in peacekeeping in Nagorno-Karabakh, and I do not believe it would
be useful to engage in any speculation on this topic at this time. As
for Kosovo, I would caution against generalizations and attempts to
apply the unique circumstances of Kosovo to other conflicts or regions
of the world. NATO’s task to provide a safe and secure environment
in Kosovo, which is mandated by the United Nations Security Council,
is distinct from the question of Kosovo’s status.

This is well illustrated by the fact that, in addition to nations that
recognise Kosovo’s independence, nations that do not recognise Kosovo’s
independence contribute forces to KFOR as well," Fogh Rasmussen says.