RUSSIA INTENSIFIES ACTIVITIES IN KARABAKH PROCESS

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.01.2010 17:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents’ recent meeting
in Sochi will impart a positive impulse to their further efforts
during the current year, said Dessislava Roussanova, International
Alert’s Projects Director for the Eurasia Program.

"A political settlement of Karabakh conflict depends on the conflicting
parties and their willingness to seek mutually acceptable decisions,"
Desislava Rusanova told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

Russia has intensified activities in the Karabakh process over the
recent years, according to her.

"No one argues that Russia knows South Caucasus better than any
other foreign stakeholder in our region. It realizes the mentality and
specific outlook of the parties to conflict. That is Russia’s advantage
for being an effective intermediary in disputable issues like this. The
fact that official Baku and Yerevan constantly express their high
appreciation of Russia’s mediation proves its unquestionable role in
the settlement process. Such attitude was also confirmed during the
meeting in Sochi," Ms. Roussanova said.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out in
1988 as result of the ethnic cleansing the latter launched in the
final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from
1991 to 1994. Since the ceasefire in 1994, sealed by Armenia, Nagorno
Karabakh and Azerbaijan, most of Nagorno Karabakh and several regions
of Azerbaijan around it (the security zone) remain under the control
of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks
mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

The trilateral meeting between Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani
Presidents was held on January 25 in Moscow.

International Alert is an independent peacebuilding organization
that works to lay the foundations for lasting peace and security
in communities affected by violent conflict. It operates in over 20
countries and territories around the world, both directly with people
affected by violent conflict as well as at government, EU and UN
levels to shape both policy and practice in building sustainable peace.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress