Dartmouth Conference Proposes to Settle Karabakh "Step by Step"

PanARMENIAN.Net - Co-Chairs of the Dartmouth Conference working group on regional conflicts Harold Sounders and Vitaly Naumkin elaborated draft framework agreement on the Karabakh conflict peaceful settlement. According to Mr. Sounders the document is based upon the outcomes of 9 meetings of the working group members with representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh. The meeting have been held since October 2001. "The main idea of the document is the achievement of peace step by step," the U.S. diplomat said. Sounders considers that the logic of the peaceful demand changes in the relations between the conflicting peoples.



"The framework agreement is a modification of the stepwise variant. The full-fledged settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict conflict, that is the signing of final peaceful agreement is possible upon the completion of the talks that will change the relations between the conflicting parties. This can be achieved by means of several agreements. Thorough fulfillment of each agreement will create conditions for talks and raise the degree of trust to the peaceful process," co-author of the document Vitaly Naumkin said. He noted that the matter concerns a number of intermediate agreements on the withdrawal of troops, return of refugees and settlement of security issues. "At that Nagorno Karabakh is offered an intermediate status," he added.



To note, the Dartmouth Conference launched activities in mid 1960-ies for the elaboration of common positions of the United States and Russia on the settlement of regional conflict. After the collapse of the USSR the conference is co-chaired by Russia and the U.S.