Historian Modest Kolerov: Most Of Russians Support Nagorno Karabakh

HISTORIAN MODEST KOLEROV: MOST OF RUSSIANS SUPPORT NAGORNO KARABAKH STRUGGLE

Noyan Tapan
June 15, 2009

STEPANAKERT, JUNE 15, NOYAN TAPAN. Russia’s possibilities in the
diplomatic sphere of NKR’s international recognition are limited,
but most of Russians support the Nagorno Karabakh struggle: according
to a public poll, nearly 65% Russians support this struggle. Modest
Kolerov, a candidate of historic sciences, the managing director of
the REGNUM Novosti Russian Federal Information Agency, reported at a
round table organized on June 12 at the NKR Foreign Ministry. At the
same time he said that in the opinion of Russian society, the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict should be solved only in a political and peaceful
way. "The number of supporters of conflict’s military settlement in
Russia is very small," M. Kolerov said.

Saying that he has always spoken for Nagorno Karabakh’s participation
in conflict settlement negotiations, he said that it is too
important from point of view of diplomatic technique. At the same
time M. Kolerov is against artificial acceleration of the conflict
settlement process, especially in the context when settlement
is presented as a precondition for other regional processes, in
particular, for opening of the Armenian-Turkish border, which, in
his opinion, is fraught with some dangers. "All nations are equal,
but each nation’s fate is unique, and one cannot change a nation’s
fate at the expense of the fate of another nation," M. Kolerov said.

In his words, no doubt Nagorno Karabakh is a fully-established state,
but it should work more actively in the foreign sphere, in particular,
at expert level ensure Nagorno Karabakh representatives’ participation
in international events.

Another representative of Russia taking part in the round table,
Director of the Quorum Center for Monitoring of Democratic Processes
Alexei Kochetkov, mentioned the necessity of establishing contacts
between Russia and Nagorno Karabakh at the level of society and
non-governmental organizations. He attached importance to civil
society’s significant role in the issue of conflict settlement.

At the same time A. Kochetkov said that Nagorno Karabakh conflict’s
essence is not widely known to the world. In his words, Azerbaijan
allocates huge funds for agitation purposes, but the Azeri side accepts
any step of introducing NKR to the international community as a threat.

According to the report of the NKR Foreign Ministry Press Service, NKR
National Assembly deputies, representatives of NKR Foreign Ministry
diplomatic corps, and non-governmental organizations took part in
the discussion.