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PASCAL MONNIER: NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT SHOULDN'T BE CONSIDERED INSOLVABLE
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Feb 9 2015
9 February 2015 - 3:28pm
It is important not to consider the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh as
something that will last forever, French Ambassador to Azerbaijan
Pascal Monnier believes.
"There is a saying in French: 'you don't need the reason of hope to
be active'. If there is a conflict in Ukraine it doesn't mean we
have to be completely inactive in Nagorno-Karabakh. My impression
and the will of our government are not linking these two. As soon
as the date is agreed with the parties, the co-chairs will come to
the region. There is a willingness to help and to maintain dialogue
between the parties," Trend cited him as saying.
According to the diplomat, mediation is neither a tribunal nor a court,
it is a way to use all the techniques available for the diplomats and
experts in confidence building in a conflict resolution in post-crisis
management.
He added that the co-chairs cannot decide for the presidents in terms
of what is acceptable for them, for the people of the region.
"We urge, by all means, both presidents, both countries to start a
dialogue and to avoid any measures which can harm this dialogue,"
Monnier noted.
Armenia is unlikely to be happy with the status quo, according to
the French ambassador.
"As we know, Armenia is occupying a lot of territories, 7 territories,
and also controlling Nagorno-Karabakh. If we look at the economic
situation of Armenia, we don't have an impression that Armenia is
getting a lot from the situation. I think Armenia would get more
if peace was there. We know that there are three major principles
of resolution: non-use of force, territorial integrity and
self-determination," said the ambassador, adding that territorial
integrity and self-determination are sometimes contradictory.
Earlier, the deputy chairman of the OSCE PA's committee on political
affairs and security, the Azerbaijani MP Azay Guliyev, said he plans to
raise the issue of increasing the number of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
from three countries - the US, Russia and France - to five, including
Germany and Turkey. Guliyev said he will raise the issue at the winter
session of the OSCE PA, to be held in Vienna.
Monnier believes the co-chairing group is the right body to find
a peaceful, lasting solution to the conflict. "At the same time,
what I think is that any concrete support of any member states is
welcomed that means that the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh is something of concern for all the nations because
it violates stability in the region and it also prevents the economic
integration of the region," he said, adding that it has a negative
impact on everybody.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/news/politics/66022.html
From: A. Papazian
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Feb 9 2015
9 February 2015 - 3:28pm
It is important not to consider the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh as
something that will last forever, French Ambassador to Azerbaijan
Pascal Monnier believes.
"There is a saying in French: 'you don't need the reason of hope to
be active'. If there is a conflict in Ukraine it doesn't mean we
have to be completely inactive in Nagorno-Karabakh. My impression
and the will of our government are not linking these two. As soon
as the date is agreed with the parties, the co-chairs will come to
the region. There is a willingness to help and to maintain dialogue
between the parties," Trend cited him as saying.
According to the diplomat, mediation is neither a tribunal nor a court,
it is a way to use all the techniques available for the diplomats and
experts in confidence building in a conflict resolution in post-crisis
management.
He added that the co-chairs cannot decide for the presidents in terms
of what is acceptable for them, for the people of the region.
"We urge, by all means, both presidents, both countries to start a
dialogue and to avoid any measures which can harm this dialogue,"
Monnier noted.
Armenia is unlikely to be happy with the status quo, according to
the French ambassador.
"As we know, Armenia is occupying a lot of territories, 7 territories,
and also controlling Nagorno-Karabakh. If we look at the economic
situation of Armenia, we don't have an impression that Armenia is
getting a lot from the situation. I think Armenia would get more
if peace was there. We know that there are three major principles
of resolution: non-use of force, territorial integrity and
self-determination," said the ambassador, adding that territorial
integrity and self-determination are sometimes contradictory.
Earlier, the deputy chairman of the OSCE PA's committee on political
affairs and security, the Azerbaijani MP Azay Guliyev, said he plans to
raise the issue of increasing the number of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
from three countries - the US, Russia and France - to five, including
Germany and Turkey. Guliyev said he will raise the issue at the winter
session of the OSCE PA, to be held in Vienna.
Monnier believes the co-chairing group is the right body to find
a peaceful, lasting solution to the conflict. "At the same time,
what I think is that any concrete support of any member states is
welcomed that means that the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh is something of concern for all the nations because
it violates stability in the region and it also prevents the economic
integration of the region," he said, adding that it has a negative
impact on everybody.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/news/politics/66022.html
From: A. Papazian