The Report Does Not Reflect the Essence of the Karabakh Conflict

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THE REPORT DOES NOT REFLECT THE ESSENCE OF THE KARABAKH CONFLICT

07:25 pm 24 March, 2006

`The report of the international crisis group which was made public on
March20 of the current year is a serious analytical work and contains
credentials to the CE to be actively involved in the procedures in
Southern Caucasus’, the head of the political administration of the
Foreign Ministry of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Irina Beglaryan
announced commenting on the report of the International Crisis Group
titled `Settlement of Conflicts in Southern Caucasus: The Role of the
EU’.

`We agree with the international community not to allow wars in the
European neighborhood. In this context we greet any consistent steps
which will be directed towards the establishment of peace and
stability in Southern Caucasus, and in particular the peaceful
settlement of the Karabakh conflict which aroused as a result of the
armed aggression of the Republic of Azerbaijan against the Republic of
Karabakh.

Nevertheless, we think that the mechanisms of reaching the aims
represented in the report of the ICG are not realistic as they do not
reflect the real essence of the Karabakh conflict and is based on
substitution of key concepts. Enhancing of democracy and respect of
human rights are the preconditions for the peaceful settlement of the
conflict, and we hope that in the policy adopted in Southern Caucasus
EU will be guided by the principles universal for Europe.

The positive side of the report is that the necessity of involving the
non-recognized countries of Southern Caucasus into the process of
integration into the EU is mentioned. The document also offers to make
the EU special envoy to Southern Caucasus participant of the
negotiations within the framework of the OSCE Minks group.

And still, we express our bewilderment at the attempts of the authors
of the report of accusation of the privatization of the Minsk group
peaceful procedure. The activity of the Minsk group is not the whim
of separate diplomats and countries: it is work under the OSCE
mandate.

During 14 years the Minsk group has managed to process experience of
peace-keeping activity. And I would like to underline that neither the
present format nor the possible participation of the European
mediators can compensate the absence of the immediate participant of
the conflict – Nagorno Karabakh in the negotiations’, the announcement
says.