December 6, 2007 - 15:41 AMT
Vahram Atanesyan: probability of war has always been 100 percent
"There is nothing strange about the statement of the Azerbaijani defense minister on the probability of war. Probability of war has always been 100 percent," said Vahram Atanesyan, the chair of the NKR National Assembly Committee of External Relations.

"The problem is which party is inclined to resolution through war. The approaches toward this are opposed, and unfortunately the Azerbaijani side will try hard not to have agreement reached. This is the current line of the Azerbaijani diplomacy," Vahram Atanesyan said. "Different interpretations of the mediators' proposals are natural because diplomacy is when each side interprets the proposals to favor their interests."

"Judging from the statement of the Azerbaijan foreign minister in Madrid, the only unsettled issue is the status of Karabakh, although this is what the minister denies," he noted.

"Apparently, Azerbaijan tends to see the future status of Karabakh within the borders of Azerbaijani SSR. They focus on internal self-determination, while the Armenian side views self-determination in a different light. The situation is complicated because Karabakh is unready to perceive this methodology of settlement, and this is the reality. I think this methodology does not match the mood of the Azerbaijani society," Vahram Atanesyan said, Karabakh Open reports.