KARABAKH CONFLICT CANNOT BE SETTLED BY MILITARY MEANS – SAAKIAN
Russia & CIS General Newswire
November 6, 2007 Tuesday 11:42 AM MSK
Statements by the Azeri leadership that the Karabakh problem could
be settled by military means have been denounced by President of the
breakaway republic of Nagorno-Karabakh Bako Saakian, who described
such comments as counterproductive.
"We qualify the statements by the leaders of Azerbaijan as
counterproductive, and think they are putting a brake on the
comprehensive settlement of the conflict and on the efforts to
establish a dialogue between the two conflicting parties, between
the two peoples," Saakian told Interfax in Moscow.
"The beginning of a new armed conflict in the region would throw back
the settlement of the Karabakh conflict," he said.
"Plans to settle this problem by military means are illusory. In our
opinion, this scenario is unrealistic," Saakian said.
"A new war would only lead to further loss of life – even greater
than previously," he said.
De-facto, Nagorno Karabakh seceded from Azerbaijan in the 1990s,
following a bloody conflict. Baku is trying to regain control of
the area.