Political analyst: co-chairs support further talks to prevent Karabakh
conflict escalation

July 1, 2011 – 19:41 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – France assumed mediatory initiative in Karabakh
conflict settlement which used to belong to Russia, according to
deputy director of Caucasus Institute.

In a conversation with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, political analyst
Sergey Minasyan commented on French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe’s
statement suggesting additional offers to achieve agreement on
Karabakh issue will be submitted to conflicting parties.

`I don’t believe he meant Azeri suggestions advanced by Aliyev in
Kazan, the offers may refer to the next stage in negotiations,’ he
said.

Minasyan stressed the importance of continuation of talks, noting that
to prevent conflict escalation, the co-chairs will take their best
efforts for negotiations to go on.

According to the expert, the parties are not ready for concessions; no
progress is possible unless NKR is involved in negotiations.

The summit between Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia in Kazan on June 24
completed without an agreement on basic principles of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement. `The countries’ leaders registered mutual
understanding on a range of problems, the resolution of which boosts
creation of conditions for approving main principles. The meeting
participants considered the course of works carried out with the aim
of coordination of the project with basic principles,’ according to
the statement. The Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan expressed
gratitude to the Russian, French and U.S. leaders, the OSCE Minsk
group co-chairs, for `their constant attention to Nagorno-Karabakh
problem’ and highly praised personal efforts of the Russian President
in support of agreements.

Later on Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian noted that the
June 24 meeting was not a breakthrough, as Azerbaijan proved unready
to accept the final version of the basic principles suggested by the
OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs. Instead, the Azerbaijani leader attempted
to impose 10 new proposals, thus precluding the possibility of any
agreement on the issue,’ he added.