Levon Mkrtchyan – “Dangerous Developments in Favor of Azerbaijan”

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| 22:10:21 | 04-11-2004 | Politics | author: Diana Markosyan |
LEVON MKRTCHYAN – “DANGEROUS DEVELOPMENTS IN FAVOR OF AZERBAIJAN”

During the 59th full session of UNO General Assembly in December the issue
on “Situation in 7 occupied territories of Azerbaijan” will be discussed.
Under various appraisals, it’s the failure of Armenian diplomacy. What does
Levon Lazarian, head of ARF Party of Coalition think about this?
-It’s a dangerous development. Azerbaijan really tries to move the issue
from the professional structures to parliamentary or international ones,
where professionalism is lacking, and in fact, it gives a chance to make
decisions upon emotions. The factor of Islamic states can’t be excluded
here, either. And this will make the issue of another quality, Azerbaijani
part thinks. They try to collect the issue by segments. But we and the
professional structures – OSCE, Minsk Group etc must resist it. The
structures noticed that the way leads to nothing, moreover, it resulted in
the conflict exacerbation, and they tried to pass on to the professional
manner of settlement, which justified itself – there is peace for some
years. Those structures must assess return of the issue to UNO format as
negative.
-Mr. Lazarian, during the time of the former Authorities the process of
Karabakhi conflict settlement was moved to OSCE from UNO format. At the
times of the ex Authorities Karabakh was a full negotiating part. USA Senate
907 Resolution on Freedom Support was valid in the times of former
Authorities. Don’t you think that regress is fixed over all the cited
directions?
– I wouldn’t say so because the conflict is full and the history of it doesn’t
accept the conceptions like “former and present Authorities”. The conflict
itself has complications, and the settlement of it depends on
resourcefulness of resisting those complications. The present Authorities
inherited the unsolved conflict, and in a defeatist strategy in fact.
Authorities dragged out the process, essentially looking for solutions and
that policy justified itself partly. For instance, Key West was s success.
In fact, it was joining of Nagorno Karabakh to Republic of Armenia as the
radical settlement to the problem. Now all the approaches alike consist of
more positive solutions than before.
-By the appraisals of some analysts and the representatives of ex
Authorities, now there is a danger of losing Karabakh even. Do you agree to
it?
Such kind of appraisals made by the former Authorities are based upon the
present political situation in Armenia. They have the task of power change
and delivering a blow to the power. I want to say that during 15 years
serious diplomatic activity was spread. The activity resulted in both
successes and failures. If looking at the aspect of conflictology, Armenian
people are in an advantageous position now.