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SPOUSE OF OSCE MG US CO-CHAIR HOPES USA WILL BE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI CONFLICT
arminfo
2008-08-19 14:53:00
ArmInfo. The spouse of OSCE Minsk Group US Co-chair hopes the USA will
be directly involved in the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict. Zeyno Baran,
Senior Fellow and Director of Hudson's Center for Eurasian Policy,
said in an interview with 1news.az.
Asked about the influence of the South-Ossetic conflict on
neighbor-states - Azerbaijan and Armenia, she said that she is unaware
how the South-Ossetic situation will be resolved. Georgia lost the
war, she said. Leader of South Ossetia Kokoyti who was supported by
Russia admitted that ethnic purge of Georgians was carried out in
South Ossetia, Z. Baran said. Earlier Abhkazia was also 'cleaned'
of Georgians. Now Russia demands establishment of the status of these
regions through a referendum using Kosovo precedent. If they succeed
in it, the Armenian stance to conduct a referendum to determine
the status of Nagorny Karabakh will get a great support. However,
Z. Baran doubts that the result will be such since the USA and EU
will be against the referendum in South Ossetia not to encourage the
aggressor, she said. In addition, if the referendum is held in Georgia,
Iran will strive for referendum to settle the future of Israel. Kurds
will want a referendum for the future of Kirkuk, which is inadmissible,
Z. Baran said. It is against Russian- Iranian adequation and it is
time for the West to admit that, Z. Baran said.
She believes the second point is the future of diplomatic
initiatives. She is sure that Russia will be no longer perceived as
a neutral peacemaker and Russia's involvement in the determination
of the future of the two separatist regions will not be the same as
America's involvement. Z. Baran could not say how it may influence
the OSCE Minsk process so far. However, she is sure that it will
influence the process since the US and Russian co-chairs will not
cooperate in settlement of a regional conflict when they have quite
different stances. That is why, she hopes the USA will be directly
involved in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict not as a member of a
group of states. Z. Baran said France and Russia have similar stances
in the case of Georgia. But the US stance on Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict will change only after the presidential election in the USA,
Zeyno Baran said.
arminfo
2008-08-19 14:53:00
ArmInfo. The spouse of OSCE Minsk Group US Co-chair hopes the USA will
be directly involved in the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict. Zeyno Baran,
Senior Fellow and Director of Hudson's Center for Eurasian Policy,
said in an interview with 1news.az.
Asked about the influence of the South-Ossetic conflict on
neighbor-states - Azerbaijan and Armenia, she said that she is unaware
how the South-Ossetic situation will be resolved. Georgia lost the
war, she said. Leader of South Ossetia Kokoyti who was supported by
Russia admitted that ethnic purge of Georgians was carried out in
South Ossetia, Z. Baran said. Earlier Abhkazia was also 'cleaned'
of Georgians. Now Russia demands establishment of the status of these
regions through a referendum using Kosovo precedent. If they succeed
in it, the Armenian stance to conduct a referendum to determine
the status of Nagorny Karabakh will get a great support. However,
Z. Baran doubts that the result will be such since the USA and EU
will be against the referendum in South Ossetia not to encourage the
aggressor, she said. In addition, if the referendum is held in Georgia,
Iran will strive for referendum to settle the future of Israel. Kurds
will want a referendum for the future of Kirkuk, which is inadmissible,
Z. Baran said. It is against Russian- Iranian adequation and it is
time for the West to admit that, Z. Baran said.
She believes the second point is the future of diplomatic
initiatives. She is sure that Russia will be no longer perceived as
a neutral peacemaker and Russia's involvement in the determination
of the future of the two separatist regions will not be the same as
America's involvement. Z. Baran could not say how it may influence
the OSCE Minsk process so far. However, she is sure that it will
influence the process since the US and Russian co-chairs will not
cooperate in settlement of a regional conflict when they have quite
different stances. That is why, she hopes the USA will be directly
involved in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict not as a member of a
group of states. Z. Baran said France and Russia have similar stances
in the case of Georgia. But the US stance on Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict will change only after the presidential election in the USA,
Zeyno Baran said.