Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Kazimirov: You Cannot be Half Pregnant: All documents out, or secret

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Kazimirov: You Cannot be Half Pregnant: All documents out, or secret

    AZG Armenian Daily #122, 01/07/2006


    Karabakh issue

    VLADIMIR KAZIMIROV: YOU CANNOT BE HALF-PREGNANT; EITHER ALL DOCUMENTS
    SHOULD BE MADE PUBLIC OR ALL BE KEPT SECRET

    Co-Chairs Tired of Waiting

    "It's hard for me to make judgments on this as I am not in the
    negotiations and know many things not from the first hand but other
    sources. That's why my speculation can have only a relative value,"
    Vladimir Kazimirov, former Russian co-chair to the OSCE Minsk Group
    told daily Azg commenting on the Minsk Group co-chairs' Vienna
    statement on June 22 in. "From all I know, I agree with the co-chairs
    on the measures they suggest but not the sequence of their
    implementation. If you have noticed the part about two-sided and
    international guarantees comes after the presidents' proposals. I
    think everything that has to do with nonviolence and guarantees
    against using force should be placed not in the first phase but in the
    zero phase. I don't think it's good to put the part about guarantees
    at the end of the statement. It should be strongly emphasized that no
    matter how many phases there are, they should follow an
    internationally validated obligation to refrain from using force for
    settling disputable issues of this conflict. This has to be on the
    first place as a zero phase."

    As to the stage-by-stage content of the co-chairs' statement and the
    vague wording about Nagorno Karabakh status, Vladimir Kazimirov said:
    "Yes indeed, the issue of referendum is put in a vague sentence.
    Nothing is said about concrete date. The statement says that the issue
    of status will be an object of separate negotiations but neither dates
    nor conditions are mentioned. The Azeri side was quick to respond
    saying that no referendum is possible as the country's constitution
    allows plebiscites only on all-Azerbaijani level. But there is a
    question: is that not clear why Azerbaijani constitution has such a
    clause? It was added as an amendment well taking into account the
    Karabakh conflict in order not to allow Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh
    voice their opinion. It is over doubt. But where in the international
    practice we can see an example when the whole nation votes? For
    instance in Quebec only local residents voted but not Canada as a
    whole.

    "Statements that Azerbaijani constitution does not foresee such
    referendums are not convincing. Today's Azerbaijani constitution was
    written having in mind the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. In the meantime,
    no matter how the dispute is resolved definitely Azerbaijani
    constitution will be needed to undergo changes even if Karabakh gets
    the widest autonomy within Azerbaijan as Azeris dream.

    "There were exaggerated expectations that the conflict will get
    resolved in 2006. But that was an illusion. Half of the year has
    passed and no progress was achieved. Even if we consider the sides'
    statements that Armenia and Azerbaijan have never before been so close
    to a solution, there are still discords between them.

    "In such conditions one can understand the annoyance of the
    co-chairs. I am familiar with such situation. The co-chairs are
    disappointed that the two presidents find no ways to meet each other
    half way."

    Asked whether it is right and timely to make public parts of a
    document that is still being discussed and elaborated, Kazimirov said:
    "As the saying goes, one cannot be half-pregnant. Either the whole
    content of the documents should be revealed or they should be kept
    under wraps. The current situation is incomplete. Firstly, Matthew
    Bryza's interview then the MG co-chairs' statement. Both are only part
    of the document presented by the Armenian and Azerbaijan
    presidents. Should they go on with publicizing or stop? It's up to the
    o-chairs and the sides to decide. But Serge Sargsian, for one, spoke
    lately for making the documents public.

    I was not delighted when back in 1997-98 Heydar Aliyev revealed all
    three documents of that time and Yerevan did the same in 2-3 days. At
    any rate, the societies got some understanding on how the talks are
    going. But do not forget that in 1997-98 all proposals - package,
    stage-by-stage or the state's - used to be presented to the three
    sides of the conflict. But today co-chairs present their proposals to
    Armenia and Azerbaijan but not to all the sides."

    By Aghavni Harutyunian
Working...
X