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Trend, Azerbaijan
May 27 2011
EU to intensify dialogue on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
BYLINE: V.Zhavoronkova, Trend News Agency, Baku, Azerbaijan
May 27--BAKU, Azerbaijan -- The European Union's increased involvement
in settlement of the protracted conflicts, including the
Nagorno-Karabakh, will be expressed in increasing the density of the
talks, the Deputy Dean of the History Department of Moscow State
University, Chief Editor of the Vestnik Kavkaza and Trend Expert
Council member, Alexei Vlasov, said.
The EU's Renewed European Neighborhood Policy report reads that the
European Union is ready to enhance EU involvement in solving
protracted conflicts. The EU must be ready to step up its involvement
in formats where it is not yet represented, such as the OSCE Minsk
Group on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the report reads.
Vlasov believes no revolutionary changes will happen in the structure
of the mediators involved in the conflict settlement.
"Following the example of Russia, there will be increased the density
of the dialogue platforms, which will discuss the various aspects of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Vlasov told Trend.
As for the increasing the EU's involvement in the conflict resolution,
the matter is, in fact, simply counter-EU initiatives to increase the
dynamics of dialogue with participation of Baku and Yerevan, and the
mediating countries, he said.
Moreover, Vlasov said, the EU initiative, above all, will be
implemented through France, which is co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group.
"Germany, for example, has own interests in participating in the
settlement of problems in the South Caucasus, but they are not so
pronounced and stretched in time," he said. "Germany is unlikely to
abandon the chosen course of conduct."
France, he said, is more flexible and dynamic France in this matter,
so it is her role in the Minsk Group, as one of the leading
intermediaries, will grow in the near future.
Generally, Vlasov welcomed the new initiative in the conflict resolution.
"I am an optimist and I think that any mediation efforts are
appropriate," he said.
However, Vlasov said, the final settlement of the conflict requires
the parties' goodwill first of all.
Moreover, Vlasov said, Russia's participation in the settlement
process may play a greater role in the future than the efforts of the
European Union, as now, Baku and Yerevan are willing to accept Moscow
as the chief mediator.
"However, but the EU's desire to play a more active, more productive
role in resolving the protracted conflict, should not be ignored," he
added.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group -- Russia, France, and the U.S. --
are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.
From: A. Papazian
May 27 2011
EU to intensify dialogue on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
BYLINE: V.Zhavoronkova, Trend News Agency, Baku, Azerbaijan
May 27--BAKU, Azerbaijan -- The European Union's increased involvement
in settlement of the protracted conflicts, including the
Nagorno-Karabakh, will be expressed in increasing the density of the
talks, the Deputy Dean of the History Department of Moscow State
University, Chief Editor of the Vestnik Kavkaza and Trend Expert
Council member, Alexei Vlasov, said.
The EU's Renewed European Neighborhood Policy report reads that the
European Union is ready to enhance EU involvement in solving
protracted conflicts. The EU must be ready to step up its involvement
in formats where it is not yet represented, such as the OSCE Minsk
Group on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the report reads.
Vlasov believes no revolutionary changes will happen in the structure
of the mediators involved in the conflict settlement.
"Following the example of Russia, there will be increased the density
of the dialogue platforms, which will discuss the various aspects of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Vlasov told Trend.
As for the increasing the EU's involvement in the conflict resolution,
the matter is, in fact, simply counter-EU initiatives to increase the
dynamics of dialogue with participation of Baku and Yerevan, and the
mediating countries, he said.
Moreover, Vlasov said, the EU initiative, above all, will be
implemented through France, which is co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group.
"Germany, for example, has own interests in participating in the
settlement of problems in the South Caucasus, but they are not so
pronounced and stretched in time," he said. "Germany is unlikely to
abandon the chosen course of conduct."
France, he said, is more flexible and dynamic France in this matter,
so it is her role in the Minsk Group, as one of the leading
intermediaries, will grow in the near future.
Generally, Vlasov welcomed the new initiative in the conflict resolution.
"I am an optimist and I think that any mediation efforts are
appropriate," he said.
However, Vlasov said, the final settlement of the conflict requires
the parties' goodwill first of all.
Moreover, Vlasov said, Russia's participation in the settlement
process may play a greater role in the future than the efforts of the
European Union, as now, Baku and Yerevan are willing to accept Moscow
as the chief mediator.
"However, but the EU's desire to play a more active, more productive
role in resolving the protracted conflict, should not be ignored," he
added.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group -- Russia, France, and the U.S. --
are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.
From: A. Papazian