ANDREY NESTERENKO MAKES NEW COMMENT ON ARMENIA-TURKEY, NAGORNO-KARABAKH PROCESSES

news.am
Nov 20 2009
Armenia

Andrey Nesterenko, official representative of the RF Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, made a new comment on "the combination of the
Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia-Turkey normalization processes."

NEWS.am reminds readers that at a November 17 press briefing,
Nesterenko made the following statement: "As far as we know issues
related to Nagorno-Karabakh were raised during the Yerevan-Ankara
negotiations. This range of issue must be considered in this process.

Let us hope that all the issues will be settled in conformity with the
decisions made by international organizations and meet the interests
of all the nations of the region."

NEWS.am sent the following inquiry to the Press and Information
Department, RF Foreign Office: "At a November 17 press briefing,
the official representative of the RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Andrey Nesterenko stated Armenia and Turkey are discussing the
Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. Does it mean that the OSCE Minsk
Group has been enlarged or has stopped working? What is official
Moscow’s attitude to Turkey’s involvement in the Nagorno-Karabakh
peace process?"

Speaking at the RA Parliament on November 18, RA Foreign Minister
Nalbandyan refuted any linkage between the Nagorno-Karabakh peace
process and Armenia-Turkey normalization. "We, OSCE MG Co-Chairs as
well as the leaders of the world powers repeatedly stated that these
are two different processes. And if certain country representatives
periodically make statements on the interconnection of the issues,
then it’s a misunderstanding, but not the official position of
these states," the Minister said. He also said that Russia should be
expected to make new statements confirming the absence of any linkage
between the Armenia-Turkey normalization and the Nagorno-Karabakh
peace processes.

The "new statement" was made quite soon. It particularly reads:

"Moscow has noticed that some Armenian media outlets raised an
alarm about the statements made by the official representative of
the RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs on November 17, 2009. Official
Moscow is claimed to have changed its stance and be linking the
Nagorno-Karabakh and the Armenia-Turkey normalization processes. It was
a misunderstanding. RF Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has repeatedly
explained Russia’s position. It has remained unchanged: two different
processes are in question.

"We welcome the Armenian-Turkish document, which determine the sides’
further actions to progress to comprehensive normalization of bilateral
relations.

"We are sure that the establishment of good neighborly relations
between Armenia and Turkey will facilitate to further steps to
strengthen peace and stability in the Transcaucasus.

"As regards the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, despite unsettled
disagreements, the sides have succeeded in agreeing on the fundamental
settlement principles.

"We see our role in contributing to this process and the sides’
finding mutually acceptable solutions to key problems, without,
however, imposing any formulas on the conflicting parties. We admit
the fact that it is the Armenians and Azerbaijanis that bear the main
responsibility for their final choice. Russia is ready to support the
solution to the problem that will be acceptable to all the parties
involved and act as guarantor for settlement if any compromise is
achieved. It is clear that a viable solution is one that would restore
peace and stability in the Transcaucasus and, in the post-conflict
period, maintain the geopolitical balance of forces there, preventing
the region from becoming an arena for international politico-military
competition."