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ROBERT BRADTKE: THE SIDES ARE CLOSER TO AN AGREEMENT THAN THEY THINK THEY ARE
armradio.am
21.03.2012 13:05
As the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe is going to mark the 20th anniversary, US Co-Chair Robert
Bradtke summed up the progress made and the obstacles that exist.
"I think the Minsk Group has done three important things. First of
all, it has helped be a factor for stability. It has helped defuse
tensions. It has helped prevent the outbreak of another war, and
when cease-fire violations occur - and they have occurred throughout
this period, since 1994 - it has helped ensure that those cease-fire
violations do not escalate into something more serious," Bradtke said.
"The second thing the Minsk Group has done is be a channel for
communication between and among the parties. And the third thing
that was part of our mandate that we have done in this period is
to develop a common basis for negotiation. In the past 5 years in
particular, that has been the focus of the work of the co-chairs -
to develop this framework document, called the Basic Principles, which
include the return of lands surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh; the right of
return for displaced persons; interim status for Nagorno-Karabakh with
security and self-governance guarantees; a corridor linking Armenia
and Nagorno-Karabakh; and an agreement to determine Karabakh's final
legal status at some point in the future," the US Co-Chair said.
"We've worked very hard with the parties to try to develop this
framework document. We haven't succeeded yet, he said, adding that
"there's no question we're closer today than we were 20 years ago."
Touching upon the Kazan meeting, Bradtke said: "Obviously, we had
hoped to see more progress at Kazan and we regret the fact that there
was not more progress. But that doesn't mean that everything is lost.
It doesn't mean we don't have areas where the sides agree or that we
can't still move forward from the work that has been done. It means
we take a deep breath and look for ways to move forward."
"The sides are closer to an agreement than they think they are.
Because of the lack of trust, it makes it harder for them to see this.
One of the crucial things in any peace process, I've learned, is that
the sides come to see themselves as partners - that they recognize
they will not make progress unless they see the other as someone whose
problems they have to help solve. It's not a question of, 'How do I
get everything I want and he gets nothing he wants?' If that's the
approach there will be no progress. They need to see this process as,
'There won't be peace unless he gets something and I get something,
and how can I get him something that he needs and how can he give me
something that I need?'" Bradtke stated.
From: A. Papazian
armradio.am
21.03.2012 13:05
As the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe is going to mark the 20th anniversary, US Co-Chair Robert
Bradtke summed up the progress made and the obstacles that exist.
"I think the Minsk Group has done three important things. First of
all, it has helped be a factor for stability. It has helped defuse
tensions. It has helped prevent the outbreak of another war, and
when cease-fire violations occur - and they have occurred throughout
this period, since 1994 - it has helped ensure that those cease-fire
violations do not escalate into something more serious," Bradtke said.
"The second thing the Minsk Group has done is be a channel for
communication between and among the parties. And the third thing
that was part of our mandate that we have done in this period is
to develop a common basis for negotiation. In the past 5 years in
particular, that has been the focus of the work of the co-chairs -
to develop this framework document, called the Basic Principles, which
include the return of lands surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh; the right of
return for displaced persons; interim status for Nagorno-Karabakh with
security and self-governance guarantees; a corridor linking Armenia
and Nagorno-Karabakh; and an agreement to determine Karabakh's final
legal status at some point in the future," the US Co-Chair said.
"We've worked very hard with the parties to try to develop this
framework document. We haven't succeeded yet, he said, adding that
"there's no question we're closer today than we were 20 years ago."
Touching upon the Kazan meeting, Bradtke said: "Obviously, we had
hoped to see more progress at Kazan and we regret the fact that there
was not more progress. But that doesn't mean that everything is lost.
It doesn't mean we don't have areas where the sides agree or that we
can't still move forward from the work that has been done. It means
we take a deep breath and look for ways to move forward."
"The sides are closer to an agreement than they think they are.
Because of the lack of trust, it makes it harder for them to see this.
One of the crucial things in any peace process, I've learned, is that
the sides come to see themselves as partners - that they recognize
they will not make progress unless they see the other as someone whose
problems they have to help solve. It's not a question of, 'How do I
get everything I want and he gets nothing he wants?' If that's the
approach there will be no progress. They need to see this process as,
'There won't be peace unless he gets something and I get something,
and how can I get him something that he needs and how can he give me
something that I need?'" Bradtke stated.
From: A. Papazian