ARMEN RUSTAMIAN: I MISTRUST STATEMENTS ABOUT DEFINITE DEADLINES FOR SETTLEMENT OF CONFLICTS
Noyan Tapan
Jan 17 2007
YEREVAN, JANUARY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Definite deadlines for solution of
the Karabakh problem have been indicated repeatedly in recent years,
however, "the cart has not yet moved", member of the ARF Armenia
Supreme Body Armen Rustamian said during a talk with NT correspondent
when commenting on the U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew
Bryza’s statement about the possibility to make progress in negotiation
process in 2008. "I mistrust statements about definite deadlines for
settlement of conflicts," he remarked.
He expressed his disagreement with the idea that the upcoming
presidential elections in Armenia and Azerbaijan will not close "the
window of opportunities" for settlement. He attached importance to
the fact that the current president of Azerbaijan may run in the
elections and continue his presidency, while Robert Kocharian may
not. A. Rustamian reminded that the son Aliev, who continues the
political course of his father in the Karabakh problem, stated after
coming to power that negotiations must start from the beginning
which caused considerable difficulties in ensuring the continuity
of negotiations. The election of the new president of Armenia may
essentialy change the process of negotiations, and, according to
A. Rustamian, the current visit of co-chairs to the region has the
purpose of examining such opportunities.
A. Rustamian agreed with the critical remark of the former Russian
co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Vladimir Kazimirov that the Armenian
side is not active enough in negotiation process. According to him,
the nonparticipation of Nagorno Karabakh – a conflict party in
negotiations is "nonsense" and there are no such examples in the
resolution of other conflicts.
A. Rustamian said that the Kosovo problem is in the center of attention
of the international community, and the Karabakh problem will hardly
be put on the agenda in the near future. At the same time he pointed
out that the Kosovo process cannot suspend the active course of other
processes, especially as, despite the stated deadlines, it is still
unclear when the Kosovo problem will be solved. In the opinion of
A. Rustamian, although it is said that the possibility of using the
formula of Kosovo problem’s settlement in other similar conflicts
is excluded, the solution of this problem, whatever it be, will
undoubtedly have an impact on settlement of the other problems.