"IF THE AIM IS MEETING, IT IS MORE SECURE TO ARRIVE VIA ARMENIA"
KarabakhOpen
18-09-2007 11:40:13
Vahram Atanesyan, leader of the Democratic faction and chair of
the Standing Committee of External Relation of the NKR parliament,
says Azerbaijan’s claims that the representatives of international
organizations should arrive in Karabakh via Azerbaijan are not an
obstacle. "If it were a problem, Azerbaijan would have hindered
the visit of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to Karabakh. A number
of international officials have arrived in Karabakh along the
road Goris-Stepanakert over the past 15 years, including the CoE
Secretary General Terry Davis. In other words, if there is a wish,
Azerbaijan’s claims which are heard all the time can be ignored. I
think the European officials who refer to it as an obstacle to their
visit are simply reluctant to come. The EU’s special representative
for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby who has been stating about
his likelihood to visit Karabakh cancelled his visit. I think Peter
Semneby has not made up his mind about what and to who he is going
to talk in Stepanakert," Vahram Atanesyan said.
The member of parliament said in 2001 the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
arrived in Karabakh via the Azerbaijani border so it is not news. He
thinks it does not mean anything. "The point is not the way to visit
Karabakh but the kind of contacts. Since opening the corridor in
1992 a lot of foreign politicians have visited Karabakh via Armenia,
and it did not change the attitude of the international community and
organizations toward Karabakh and the Karabakh issue. It is necessary
to focus on essential issues and the developments underway in the
region and outside it," Vahram Atanesyan said.
He thinks we must keep up with the economic and communication
competition to remain a geostrategic factor in the South Caucasus.
"Otherwise, the historical, cultural and emotional arguments are
just arguments."
Arthur Mosiyan, the representative of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Central
Committee, sees a political context. "If the aim is meeting, it is more
secure to arrive via Armenia. This is the reality, no matter whether
Azerbaijan acknowledges it or not." He thinks by politicizing the issue
of arrival in Karabakh they impede the dialogue between the parties.
"It is high time to give an adequate response to Azerbaijan. Armenia
and Karabakh who uphold a dialogue offer a too mild stance compared
with Baku’s tough stance. It pushes Azerbaijan to make its stance
tougher, and in this context Karabakh must take adequate measures,"
Arthur Mosiyan said.