Co-chairs of Dartmouth Conference: Armenians have the same right for Karabakh as Indians for America
Regnum, Russia
March 31 2006
A session of Dartmouth conference on Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement under the chairmanship of Harold Saunders (US) and Vitaly
Naumkin (Russia), with participation of Armenian MPs and others has
taken place in the Armenian Academy of Sciences.
The sides noted importance of a framework agreement between
representatives of the conflict sides – Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno
Karabakh, and told their opinions on the conflict settlement process.
As Saunders said, the negotiation process must be divided into two
stages. The first will include intermediate steps, namely measures
for establishment of mutual trust, equal concessions by the parties,
synchronized withdrawal of troops, demilitarization of the territories,
return of refugees, restoration of communications, economic and
cultural cooperation. The second stage will comprise talks on the NKR
final status, conclusion of peaceful agreement and establishment of
diplomatic relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In his words, the formula of the project is following: “Peace and
intermediate status in exchange for territories,” which differs from
the mutually excluding principles of the Azerbaijani and Armenian
sides – “peace in exchange for territories” and “territories in
exchange for status.” Harold Saunders also noted that the project was
submitted to the Russian and U.S. Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group,
who rated it positive on the whole. “Ambassador Mann specifically
noted the measures for establishment of mutual trust between the
conflicting parties provided by the framework agreement,” Mr.
Saunders said. At that he noted that the Dartmouth Conference is
not a substitute to the OSCE MG. “The task of the Minsk Group is to
propose the final decision, while our task is to offer the possible
ways of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement,” he stressed.
Russian co-chair Vitaly Naumkin said that a framework agreement is one
of the modifications of step-by-step settlement. But to reach such
agreement, the conflicting nations must understand the necessity of
such agreement and their observance. Only by observing every document,
the sides can create new basis for negotiations and peaceful settlement
as a whole.
The sides also discussed different aspects of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. Speaking about his point of view over the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, Saunders said that it must not be historically grounded,
because in such case, American Indians can demand America back.