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ANKARA: Caucasus Talks Won't Resolve Issues, Says Armenian Official

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  • ANKARA: Caucasus Talks Won't Resolve Issues, Says Armenian Official

    CAUCASUS TALKS WON'T RESOLVE ISSUES, SAYS ARMENIAN OFFICIAL

    Turkish Daily News/Hurriyet
    July 15 2009
    Turkey

    Wednesday, July 15, 2009
    Vercihan Ziflioglu
    YEREVAN - Hurriyet Daily News

    As the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan prepare for another round
    of peace talks Friday, a former deputy to the Armenian ambassador in
    Moscow has said negotiations will fail to resolve the long-standing
    Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.

    Dr. Stepan Grigorian, who has also been an adviser to the Armenian
    Foreign Ministry, told the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review
    that Russia, which is hosting the Caucasus peace talks, does not
    want reconciliation in the Karabakh dispute. He also said he thought
    attempts by Matt Bryza, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state
    for European and Eurasian affairs, for a solution were superficial
    and inadequate.

    Presidents Serge Sarkisian of Armenia and Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan
    met in November for talks near Moscow, as Russia cast itself as
    peacemaker after its August war with Georgia. Russian President
    Dmitry Medvedev said Armenia and Azerbaijan had made progress toward
    a resolution. Mediators from the Organization for Security and
    Cooperation in Europe, who have been monitoring peacemaking efforts,
    had also reported in early May that they saw signs of progress.

    Nagorno-Karabakh is an enclave in Azerbaijan that has been occupied
    by Armenian forces since the end of a six-year conflict that killed
    about 30,000 people and displaced 1 million before a truce was
    reached in 1994. Its unilateral independence is not recognized by
    the international community. Turkey closed its border with Armenia
    in 1993 in support of Azerbaijan in the conflict.

    Past policies:

    Despite the promising signals from the peace negotiations, Grigorian
    said he believed Friday's meeting between Sarkisian and Aliyev would
    not provide a breakthrough in the Karabakh problem, which he said
    had become more complicated due to the flawed policies of Armenia's
    second President Robert Kocharian.

    "Since Kocharian himself was from Karabakh, he wanted to rule
    Armenia and the disputed region together. He advocated Karabakh
    independence. But this perception made the situation more difficult,"
    he said.

    Evaluating the Russian mediation of the talks, Grigorian said
    he did not believe Moscow was honest about a clear solution to
    the dispute, adding: "Russia just pursues its own interest in the
    negotiations. Therefore, a solution will not be possible unless the
    interests of Russia, along with the U.S., have been met."

    According to Grigorian, Russia wants to be the only power in the
    Caucasus region and a possible deal between Yerevan and Baku means
    waning Russian influence in both former Soviet countries. Recalling
    Russia's recognition of the Georgian rebel regions of South Ossetia
    and Abhkazia, Grigorian said that like the international community
    Russia had never recognized the independence of Karabakh.

    "Armenia thinks Russia will always be the protector country, but this
    is a big mistake. Russia's stance on Karabakh's independence should
    be an important lesson for Armenia," he said.

    Criticism of optimism:

    Grigorian said he thought attempts by Bryza for a solution were
    left wanting. "It is hard to understand the optimism of Bryza on the
    Karabakh issue. Optimistic statements raise expectations and that is
    extremely wrong. Bryza does not know the area well enough and this
    is a great danger."

    He also suggested that rushing the process might pose grave risks
    to the region and could even lead to another war, which would cause
    instability not only in the Caucasus but also in the Middle East.

    Grigorian said among all EU nations, only the policies of France
    were similar to the Russian stance "because of the French hostility
    toward Turkey."

    "France does not want Turkish-Armenian relations improved," he said,
    adding: "Ankara is seeking a deal with the Armenians that will open
    the EU's doors to Turkey. However, France does not want to see Turkey
    among the EU family."

    As a result the key to a solution is in the hands of the Armenian
    and Azerbaijani people, Gregorian said, adding that they should
    be further informed because both societies were not ready for the
    solution process yet.

    Gregorian said he also believed Turkey might play an active role in
    the process by establishing dialogue with Armenia. But warned: "Like
    Cyprus, the Karabakh problem is not one that can be solved quickly."
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