RUSSIAN EXPERT: KARABAKH SETTLEMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS SHOULD RUN SIMULTANEOUSLY
ARKA
Oct 13, 2009
YEREVAN, October 13. /ARKA/. Vasily Likhachev, deputy chairman of
the Russian Federation Council Committee on foreign affairs, thinks
Karabakh settlement and improvement of relations between Armenia and
Turkey should run simultaneously.
"It is impossible to solve all the problems at once by using a
universal methodology. That’s why we think Karabakh settlement
should go along with improvement of Armenian-Turkish relations," the
Russian expert said Tuesday in Novosti International Press Centre at
Yerevan-Ankara-Moscow video discussion focused on Armenian-Turkish
relations.
He thinks that very complicated record of Armenian-Turkish relations
should be taken into account in establishing relations.
In his opinion, Armenian-Russian protocols signed Saturday in Zurich
pave a way for mutual understanding and cooperation.
On Saturday, Armenian and Turkish foreign ministers – Edward
Nalbandyan and Ahmad Davutoghlu – signed protocols on establishment
and development of bilateral relations.
The signed protocols need to be ratified by Armenian and Turkish
parliaments.
There are no diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey, and
the state border has been closed since 1993 on Ankara’s initiative.
Likhachev said that the protocols lay legal ground for cooperation
between the two countries and give some roadmaps.
He said that the protocols require key political players to take all
the confrontations existing in the region into account.
He meant South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Karabakh conflict broke out in 1988 when Artsakh, mainly populated
by Armenians, declared its independence from Azerbaijan.
On December 10, 1991, a few days after the collapse of the Soviet
Union, a referendum took place in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the majority
of the population (99.89%) voted for secession from Azerbaijan.
Afterwards, large-scale military operations began. As a result,
Azerbaijan lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven regions
adjacent to it.
On May 12, 1994 Bishkek cease-fire agreement, put an end to the
military operations.
Since 1992, talks brokered by OSCE Minsk Group are being held over
peaceful settlement of the conflict. The group is co-chaired by USA,
Russia and France.