ELEMENTS OF PACKAGE AND STAGE-BY-STAGE SOLUTION VARIANTS TO BE CONSIDERED
Azg/arm
7 April 05
Kazimirov Describes Today’s Process as ‘Dead Standstill’
If the package solution of Karabakh issue was the only alternative
for the Armenian side for the last years, then today elements of
stage-by-stage solution are in process of discussion, Vladimir
Kazimirov said yesterday at discussions organized by Cooperation
for Open Society NGO and Yerevan Press Club. Former Russian OSCE
co-chair’s opinion is based on the hearings on Karabakh issue at the
National Assembly of Armenia on March 29-30.
The foreign minister of Armenia stated during the hearings that the
elements of both package and stage-by-stage solution are on the
table of discussions, “including the political status of Nagorno
Karabakh”. Vartan Oskanian labeled the present stage of settlement
process a “tough stage” and reconfirmed, in fact, that the solution
cannot be only that of package. Official Yerevan gave up demanding
exclusively package solution according to which all issues – the
status of Karabakh, neighboring territories, return of refugees,
guarantees for security – are to be solved by one package.
“If people wish to choose the stage-by-stage solution this issue needs
really to be discussed in the parliament and then tell the authorities
that we lose our time and that we should take the stage-by-stage
solution. All variants are just variants. I treat none of them as
traitorous or heroic. The issue needs to be solved”, Vartan Oskanian
said to a press conference on December 13, 2004.
How close are the sides to the resolution? The Russian co-chair of
the OSCE Minsk group told the Liberty Radio on the eve that the Minsk
group prepared a new package of suggestions that will be put before
Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev and “everything now depends on the
presidents’ decision”. “We have reached to a point that a high-level
political decision needs to be taken, and the two presidents have to
give clear orders to their foreign ministers”, Yuri Merzlyakov said.
The Foreign Ministry of Armenia is unaware what stands for the
Russian co-chair’s optimism. The Minsk group will meet Armenian
and Azeri presidents separately in London on April 15. The press
secretary of the Foreign Ministry, Hamlet Gasparian, told daily Azg
that the meeting of Oskanian and Mamediarov “is not envisaged, there
is no arrangements”. Apparently, the Minsk group will hand out the
“new package of suggestions” in London.
Former Russian Minsk group co-chair, Vladimir Kazimirov, does not
agree at all that the sides are close to settlement. Conversely, he
thinks that the process is in “dead standstill”. Instead, Kazimirov
offers his own solution variant of small packages – “the guarantee
plan”. Kazimirov considers the package solution an ideal one but
emphasizes that it is unreal.
Official Yerevan occasionally states that it will reach recognition
of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. So, Oskanian noted on December
22 of 2004 that, “The realization of Karabakh’s self-determination
right may be not immediate”. Logically this mean that the status of
Karabakh is being left over for the future and the other key issues
– neighboring territories, refugees, guarantees for security – are
being settled separately.
Concerning a possible referendum in Nagorno Karabakh, Vladimir
Kazimirov who has been looking into the Karabakh issue since 1992
thinks that “the referendum is the last way out” when all other means
are used up. Meanwhile he asks when the referendum will take place,
in 5, 10 years, who will take part and similar questions.
By Tatoul Hakobian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress