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KREMLIN WANTS TO NEUTRALIZE OSCE INITIATIVES ON KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
news.az
Oct 26 2010
Azerbaijan
Eldar Namazov News.Az interviews Eldar Namazov, political scientist.
Which results can be expected from the meeting of Azerbaijani,
Armenian and Russian presidents in Astrakhan on October 27?
As is known, presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia held several meetings
mediated by the Russian president in the past two years.
However, they all were ineffective. Anyway, after each of these
meetings, official Yerevan did not support the Madrid principles
presented by international mediators. In the result, the negotiation
process on the Karabakh settlement is know in the air. In addition,
it should be taken into account that at the latest meeting of
the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, organized by the Russian
president in Saint Petersburg, the Russian side demonstrated an attempt
to drag Armenia out of the difficult state it was in. In addition,
the Russian-proposed principles at the Petersburg meeting did not
coincide with the Madrid principles. However, the Armenian side,
making use of the Petersburg proposals, declared that Yerevan agrees
with the new initiatives of Moscow, while Baku does not support them.
As for the Astrakhan meeting, it mostly comes from the concern,
created in Moscow and Armenia over the situation around the negotiation
process. As is known, Astana will host the OSCE Summit in December
of this year and this organization has already announced that in
the process of this event it will present a road map related to the
resolution of the Karabakh conflict to the parties. Moscow and Yerevan
are much concerned over this initiative, demonstrated by OSCE.
Therefore, one of the main goals of the meeting of presidents in
Astrakhan is the prevention or neutralization of OSCE initiatives.
How can the Road map on Karabakh conflict settlement differ from the
ones earlier proposed by international mediators?
The idea of preparing the roadmap appeared not at random, since
there are significant differences between the basic principles,
offered by international mediators and the roadmap. The technology of
basic principles is built on coordination of all paragraphs with the
conflict parties. Therefore, when official Yerevan rejects to accept
one principle, the whole document is considered uncoordinated. In this
case the mediators cannot attain any progress. However, the roadmap
provides an opportunity to start the peace process, take first steps
in this direction even in the existence of uncoordinated paragraphs.
In this connection, I think the appearance of the idea of preparation
of the road map is natural, since the Prague process, continuing for
already several years, has, in fact, failed and it became impossible
to move forth on the basis of previous principles. It is necessary
to reject the principle "either everything or nothing is agreed"
to move in the peace process.
Which positive results can be expected from the OSCE mission earlier
this month as compared to the previous mission of this organization
in 2005?
The previous mission was short-term, in addition it did not cover
all regions. Therefore, it became impossible to prepare any document,
reflecting the realities. Meanwhile, the current mission visited all
the occupied regions. In addition, the UN commissariat on refugees
have been involved into the current mission. Therefore, it is possible
to suggest that now the OSCE can prepare a comprehensive report.
Will the report of the assessment mission affect the negotiations
around Karabakh?
Naturally, the situation in the occupied lands can attract the world
attention to the resolution of this problem. Thus, this may actualize
the soonest liberation of the occupied lands.
What is the reason of the stiff mutual accusations of the Presidents
of Azerbaijan and Armenia of violating ceasefire on the line of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani confrontation?
These two factors show that the negotiations have failed. If diplomatic
negotiations are in the air, then naturally, this will increase
provocations on the contact line and stiffen mutual accusations.
In order to find the way out of the situation, Azerbaijani side is
trying to transfer the resolution to the UN agenda. Can this way be
positive for the problem settlement?
I do not agree that Azerbaijan rejects the mediation mission of the
OSCE Minsk Group and is trying to transfer the problem to UN.
Azerbaijani diplomacy is mostly trying to put a diplomatic pressure
on OSCE through intensification of UN in the Karabakh issue, since
the mandate for OSCE to hold the mediation mission on the Karabakh
conflict was presented by UN. OSCE makes annual reports before the
UN General Assembly. In this connection, it becomes natural if UN,
as the organization, presenting a mandate on the conflict settlement
to OSCE, will interfere with the process over the absence of progress
in the conflict settlement.
From: A. Papazian
news.az
Oct 26 2010
Azerbaijan
Eldar Namazov News.Az interviews Eldar Namazov, political scientist.
Which results can be expected from the meeting of Azerbaijani,
Armenian and Russian presidents in Astrakhan on October 27?
As is known, presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia held several meetings
mediated by the Russian president in the past two years.
However, they all were ineffective. Anyway, after each of these
meetings, official Yerevan did not support the Madrid principles
presented by international mediators. In the result, the negotiation
process on the Karabakh settlement is know in the air. In addition,
it should be taken into account that at the latest meeting of
the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, organized by the Russian
president in Saint Petersburg, the Russian side demonstrated an attempt
to drag Armenia out of the difficult state it was in. In addition,
the Russian-proposed principles at the Petersburg meeting did not
coincide with the Madrid principles. However, the Armenian side,
making use of the Petersburg proposals, declared that Yerevan agrees
with the new initiatives of Moscow, while Baku does not support them.
As for the Astrakhan meeting, it mostly comes from the concern,
created in Moscow and Armenia over the situation around the negotiation
process. As is known, Astana will host the OSCE Summit in December
of this year and this organization has already announced that in
the process of this event it will present a road map related to the
resolution of the Karabakh conflict to the parties. Moscow and Yerevan
are much concerned over this initiative, demonstrated by OSCE.
Therefore, one of the main goals of the meeting of presidents in
Astrakhan is the prevention or neutralization of OSCE initiatives.
How can the Road map on Karabakh conflict settlement differ from the
ones earlier proposed by international mediators?
The idea of preparing the roadmap appeared not at random, since
there are significant differences between the basic principles,
offered by international mediators and the roadmap. The technology of
basic principles is built on coordination of all paragraphs with the
conflict parties. Therefore, when official Yerevan rejects to accept
one principle, the whole document is considered uncoordinated. In this
case the mediators cannot attain any progress. However, the roadmap
provides an opportunity to start the peace process, take first steps
in this direction even in the existence of uncoordinated paragraphs.
In this connection, I think the appearance of the idea of preparation
of the road map is natural, since the Prague process, continuing for
already several years, has, in fact, failed and it became impossible
to move forth on the basis of previous principles. It is necessary
to reject the principle "either everything or nothing is agreed"
to move in the peace process.
Which positive results can be expected from the OSCE mission earlier
this month as compared to the previous mission of this organization
in 2005?
The previous mission was short-term, in addition it did not cover
all regions. Therefore, it became impossible to prepare any document,
reflecting the realities. Meanwhile, the current mission visited all
the occupied regions. In addition, the UN commissariat on refugees
have been involved into the current mission. Therefore, it is possible
to suggest that now the OSCE can prepare a comprehensive report.
Will the report of the assessment mission affect the negotiations
around Karabakh?
Naturally, the situation in the occupied lands can attract the world
attention to the resolution of this problem. Thus, this may actualize
the soonest liberation of the occupied lands.
What is the reason of the stiff mutual accusations of the Presidents
of Azerbaijan and Armenia of violating ceasefire on the line of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani confrontation?
These two factors show that the negotiations have failed. If diplomatic
negotiations are in the air, then naturally, this will increase
provocations on the contact line and stiffen mutual accusations.
In order to find the way out of the situation, Azerbaijani side is
trying to transfer the resolution to the UN agenda. Can this way be
positive for the problem settlement?
I do not agree that Azerbaijan rejects the mediation mission of the
OSCE Minsk Group and is trying to transfer the problem to UN.
Azerbaijani diplomacy is mostly trying to put a diplomatic pressure
on OSCE through intensification of UN in the Karabakh issue, since
the mandate for OSCE to hold the mediation mission on the Karabakh
conflict was presented by UN. OSCE makes annual reports before the
UN General Assembly. In this connection, it becomes natural if UN,
as the organization, presenting a mandate on the conflict settlement
to OSCE, will interfere with the process over the absence of progress
in the conflict settlement.
From: A. Papazian