U.S. HAS NOT SAID ITS WORD

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16:53:49 – 19/02/2010

The statement of the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office Kanat Saudabaev made on February 18 that Kazakhstan
as the country chairing the OSCE is going to work out a `roadmap’ for
the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue aroused different
reaction within the Armenian political elite. Although the Armenian
Foreign Ministry made it clear that the mediation format of the talks
on Nagorno-Karabakh cannot be changed, opinions that Russia, together
with Kazakhstan and Iran are trying to create a new international
mediation format were heard. Appeared in this background the statement
of the Ambassador of Iran to Armenia Seid Ali Saghighian that `as a
country having borders with Karabakh, Iran has its own observations
and opinions about the deployment of peacekeeping forces on the
Karabakh border’, heightened the intrigue.

Since the OSCE Minsk group co-chairs do not react anyhow to the new
facts, no clearness is noticed in the situation. The actions of the
conflicting parties do not contain clarity either. With the request to
issue opinions as well as to characterize the situation in the
diplomacy of the settlement since the last meeting of the presidents
of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia in Sochi we turned to the ACNIS
expert Manvel Sargsyan.

`The activeness of Kazakhstan is not accidental, noted Manvel
Sargsyan. We have to pay attention to the circumstance that the head
of the foreign ministry convened the proposal on the settlement from
the president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbaev. In addition,
Saudabaev made another significant statement: `I would like to call on
the parliamentarians to use the parliamentary diplomacy more
effectively’. All this reminds an attempt to seize the initiative. I
remember similar proposals (for parliamentary diplomacy) in 2005 did
the representatives of PACE after the adoption of the `resolution of
Atkinson’. But now it is not just Kazakhstan, but the latter
circumstance makes the situation serious.

Sargsyan noted that `ambiguous situation is formed in the process of
the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Azerbaijan and Armenia
dealt with the last meeting with the Russian president in Sochi
differently. As we know, after this meeting, they stated that the
document of Madrid has an agreed preamble. And the conflicting
countries were proposed a two-week term to present their proposals
about the problems of greater disagreement in positions. It is clear
that in case of such proposals of the parties, Russia could bring to
the negotiating table a significantly amended document which in time
would have received the status of `Sochi’ and would leave the Madrid
document in the history.

Apparently, the Azerbaijani leaders are the first to realize the
delicacy of the situation. This is seen by the behavior of the
Azerbaijani foreign ministry which instead of making proposals, stated
suddenly that it agrees with the amended principles of Madrid. With
this, Russia’s proposal to make additional changes in the text was
refused. In contrary to this, the Armenian FM stated that it will make
proposals and the negotiations will be continued when Azerbaijan, in
accordance with the arrangements in Sochi, presents its positions.
That is Armenia supported Russia’s new initiative. As a result of such
approaches of the conflicting sides, threat of divarication of
positions appeared. Perhaps, this is the reason of the late statement
of the Armenian FM that the process will be kept in the frameworks of
the OSCE Minsk group.

Though already now it is clear that it will not be easy to overcome
this situation. Here, the activization of the role of Kazakhstan as
the OSCE chairing country is clear. It can be assumed that the OSCE
Minsk Group may have a rival in the country chairing this
international organization. Everything depends on the assertiveness of
the supporters of a particular approach.

Characterizing the role of Kazakhstan in the current situation Manvel
Sargsyan said, `Evidently, Russia connected Kazakhstan with the aim to
introduce additional elements into the situation. We do not have to
forget that in the proposed preamble in Sochi the idea of bringing the
NKR leadership in the negotiation process is figured. If so, then the
fans of interception of initiatives can hope at least that in parallel
with the negotiations within the Minsk Group co-chairs, they will be
able to establish a parliamentary negotiation in a trilateral format.
This is the initial stage, and then time will tell what will happen in
the international diplomacy of the settlement. Nevertheless,
Kazakhstan in the role of the OSCE Chairman is a very convenient
player for such diplomatic operations. `Of course, we should not
forget that the U.S. has not yet expressed it weighty word on the
situation’, ended his comment M. Sargsyan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress