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'TWO DECADES FORCES US ALL TO BE SOBER AND REALISTIC'
news.az
Dec 21 2010
Azerbaijan
News.Az interviews Frederick Starr, Chairman of the Central
Asia-Caucasus Institute and Silk Road Studies Program.
Can the WikiLeaks scandal affect Azerbaijan's relations with the
United States, as well as a number of other countries?
Of course it's potentially damaging. The question is what is done now.
Mistakes have been made, are they correcting, does behavior change. I
thing that is the key of the situation.
What is your forecast about the resolution of the Karabakh conflict?
How soon can we expect progress in peace process?
I'm always hopeful, but two decades forces us all to be sober and
realistic. I think it's important that Azerbaijan maintain the momentum
of thinking, the momentum of innovation, the momentum of openness
on this issue. In the end I think it's bound bring a success but any
realistic person must be deeply disappointed with the result so far.
Russia has recently been very active as a mediator in the resolution
of the Karabakh conflict, Russian president often makes mediation
initiatives. Do you expect the result from this activeness?
I have been skeptical of Russia's involvement as a mediator from
the beginning because in a sense it was a participant. And I've been
extremely critical of the Minsk process because I don't think any of
the three key partners was deeply committed to a solution. They were
committed to a process but not a solution and the only think acceptable
now is to resolve the matter in accordance with UN resolutions.
Then what is the US interest in the resolution of the conflict
considering the fact that unlike Russia, America is far away from
the Karabakh conflict area?
As I said I don't think any of the three were willing to give a
sufficiently high priority. I think there is going to be very much
fresh thinking about Caucasus in general over the next year. I'm
confident that is going to happen in the United States and I hope
the part of that fresh thinking about the Caucasus will include fresh
thinking about Karabagh and realization of its importance.
Frederick Starr, Chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and
Silk Road Studies Program, Research Professor at the Paul H. Nitze
School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University.
From: A. Papazian
news.az
Dec 21 2010
Azerbaijan
News.Az interviews Frederick Starr, Chairman of the Central
Asia-Caucasus Institute and Silk Road Studies Program.
Can the WikiLeaks scandal affect Azerbaijan's relations with the
United States, as well as a number of other countries?
Of course it's potentially damaging. The question is what is done now.
Mistakes have been made, are they correcting, does behavior change. I
thing that is the key of the situation.
What is your forecast about the resolution of the Karabakh conflict?
How soon can we expect progress in peace process?
I'm always hopeful, but two decades forces us all to be sober and
realistic. I think it's important that Azerbaijan maintain the momentum
of thinking, the momentum of innovation, the momentum of openness
on this issue. In the end I think it's bound bring a success but any
realistic person must be deeply disappointed with the result so far.
Russia has recently been very active as a mediator in the resolution
of the Karabakh conflict, Russian president often makes mediation
initiatives. Do you expect the result from this activeness?
I have been skeptical of Russia's involvement as a mediator from
the beginning because in a sense it was a participant. And I've been
extremely critical of the Minsk process because I don't think any of
the three key partners was deeply committed to a solution. They were
committed to a process but not a solution and the only think acceptable
now is to resolve the matter in accordance with UN resolutions.
Then what is the US interest in the resolution of the conflict
considering the fact that unlike Russia, America is far away from
the Karabakh conflict area?
As I said I don't think any of the three were willing to give a
sufficiently high priority. I think there is going to be very much
fresh thinking about Caucasus in general over the next year. I'm
confident that is going to happen in the United States and I hope
the part of that fresh thinking about the Caucasus will include fresh
thinking about Karabagh and realization of its importance.
Frederick Starr, Chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and
Silk Road Studies Program, Research Professor at the Paul H. Nitze
School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University.
From: A. Papazian