Sabine Freizer: Karabakh Conflict Not Frozen

PanARMENIAN.Net - Sabine Freizer, Caucasus project director for the International Crisis Group, said March 28 in Washington that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is not a frozen conflict. "There are still people being killed regularly," she underlined. As many as 19 people, including eight civilians, have been killed in cease-fire violations over the past month, following inconclusive peace talks in Rambouillet, she said. As many as 90 people were killed in 2005. She said renewed warfare does not seem imminent but could be triggered by "an unraveling" along the tense, heavily armed confrontation line. Many of the Armenian-occupied towns outside of Nagorno Karabakh have been destroyed and would require substantial rebuilding, Freizer said. The region is especially sensitive because of its geography. Renewed fighting in Nagorno Karabakh potentially could involve Russia, Iran, the Republic of Georgia and Turkey, Freizer said, reported Trend news agency.