SITUATION IN KOSOVO INCOMPARABLE WITH NAGORNO-KARABAKH: OSCE CO-CHAIR

news.am
March 12 2010
Armenia

The situation in Kosovo is incomparable with that in Nagorno-Karabakh,
OSCE Minsk Group French Co-Chair Bernard Fassier stated in NATO PA
Rose-Roth seminar in Yerevan, March 12.

Asked why the precedent of Kosovo independence recognition cannot be
applied in case with Karabakh, he pointed out the difference between
the conflicts. "Firstly, Kosovo conflict occurred inside one country,
whereas Karabakh was a conflict in one country-Azerbaijan, where
Nagorno-Karabakh population struggled against Azerbaijan’s central
administration and a conflict between two separate countries-Armenia
and Azerbaijan. According to him, the second difference is the presence
of international forces in Kosovo for years, which is not the case
with Azerbaijan, Armenia and Karabakh.

"Armenians consider Kosovo a precedent which should be applied in
case with Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, however it is not possible. In
the upshot, Karabakh was not recognized by any country, including
Armenia," French diplomat outlined adding that Kosovo independence
made Azerbaijan act more discreetly and display exactingness. This
is so, as Azerbaijan believes if the conflict is solved based on the
principle of nations’ right to self-determination, it might lead to
independence of Karabakh.