Firm Stands Main Obstacle for Settling Karabakh Conflict

PanARMENIAN.Net - The main obstacle on the way to solve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is the firm stands of the parties to conflict, Russian President's Plenipotentiary Representative on Nagorno Karabakh (1992-96), former Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassador Vladimir Kazimirov said during an on-line interview in OpenArmenia.com forum when answering a question of a PanARMENIAN.Net correspondent. In his words, «the political calendar of Azerbaijan and Armenia does not make obstacles for holding talks and return compromises, without which the parties cannot come to an agreement.» «Now there are more opportunities for progress than before or in 2007-2008,» he stated. At the same time the diplomat remarked that parties' firm stands is the main obstacle, i.e. putting forward «maximalist, apparently unattainable demands.»



Thus, Kazimirov advised not to flatter oneself with illusions of a break. «If Armenian and Azeri authorities do not display realism, chances to solve the NK conflict in 2006 will be lost as well,» Kazimirov supposes. «The first month will pass soon, but the Ministers meet in London just today. The proposed pretext is arranging a meeting of the Presidents: the meeting should be fruitful, they say, and who except them in person can ensure it? In 2005 they held only 2 meetings, and now five, seven are necessary - and these may sometimes take place without advertising. If solution of the conflict is their priority task, if they really want to solve it and not to go with the stream of their interests. They will be forgiven 5 fruitless meetings if the 6th has a result,» Kazimirov emphasized. He also said there is no «specific option» of solving the conflict. «There are no voluntary steps towards each other and even the impelled ones are few,» he added. At the same time he said that even knowing the details he does not have the right to make them public. «However, problems are well-known. There are not many options to solve the issue and they are calculated long ago. Not to excite the society, the authorities leave it in guessing,» the Russian diplomat added.