No major breakthrough should be expected without taking into account Karabakh factor

PanARMENIAN.Net - The report of the International Crisis Group Nagorno Karabakh: Risking War is based on stereotyped ideas of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, NKR MP Gegham Baghdasaryan said.



"First of all, it refers to the artificial balance in evaluations. The report holds that Armenia and Azerbaijan should stop the dangerous race for weapons and avoid military rhetoric, which is not unbiased since the shares of responsibility of the sides for militaristic statements cannot be compared. The same is about the military potential and compromise. The framework of perceptions of the Armenian side is at least distinct unlike Azerbaijan which has not explained yet what Azerbaijan is ready to give up and concede.



"With regard to the recommendation of the ICG to increase the role of the EU's representative for the South Caucasus, who should support direct contacts with all parties, assess conflict-related funding needs, use European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) reviews and funding to promote confidence building, as well as institution building and respect for human rights and the rule of law, we might agree if all the regional factors and interests of all the actors were taken into account. No major breakthrough should be expected without taking into account the Karabakh factor. Meanwhile, Karabakh is already a part of the regional military and political balance.



"The report does not take it into account. Moreover, the report holds that Nagorno Karabakh and most regions surrounding it are occupied by the ethnic Armenian forces. It turns out that we are occupying our own home.



"As to signing a new document before the election, I could not understand the effort to relate the settlement to the elections. However, the mediators are used to viewing the talks in this context, therefore I think signing of an agreement is hardly probable.



Not only some disputable statements in the report arouse concern but also the statement that the resumption of the war is highly probable. It is important to understand where this "watchfulness" is directed, at the prevention of war or instilment of thoughts about the inevitability of war. It may be an effort to promote peace through threats of war," he said, KarabakhOpen reports.