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Following In Kosovo's Steps

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  • Following In Kosovo's Steps

    FOLLOWING IN KOSOVO'S STEPS
    by Natalia Pulina, Armen Khanbabjan

    Agency WPS
    Defense And Security (Russia)
    Source: Moscow News, No 30, August 3 - 9, 2007, p. 19
    August 8, 2007 Wednesday

    Intermediaries regard actions of the new Karabakh leadership with
    interest

    The Effect Election In Nagorno-Karabakh And Kosovo Status Will Have
    On The Karabakh Crisis Resolution

    Kosovo's sovereignty may compel Armenia to officially recognize
    Nagorno-Karabakh.

    The international community is split on the election of the
    Nagorno-Karabakh president on July 19.

    The election of Nagorno-Karabakh is a fait accompli in any case, one
    that revived interest in Karabakh crisis resolution and doubly so in
    the involved parties. Most observers believe that Nagorno-Karabakh's
    policy will remain unchanged under their new President, Bako Saakjan.

    Its means that the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic will insist on its right
    to be a fully fledged participant in the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict
    settlement talks - for starters.

    Matthew Bryza, US Undersecretary of State for European and Eurasian
    Affairs and American Chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, visited
    Yerevan the other day. The US diplomat proclaimed Stepanakert better
    ready for negotiations than the capital of any other unrecognized
    republic in the Commonwealth. Bryza added, however, that there was
    no point in waiting for any progress in the immediate future because
    "presidential campaigns in Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2008 cannot
    be counted on to offer anything constructive." Azerbaijani Foreign
    Minister Elmar Mamedjarov disagreed with Bryza and said there were
    some dormant capacities for conflict settlement yet and that some
    progress in the talks could actually be made before the end of the
    year. "Given sufficient political will, certain progress is not at
    all impossible," Mamedjarov said.

    It is common knowledge meanwhile that Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh,
    the Trans-Dniester region, and South Ossetia cannot wait for the
    determination of Kosovo's status.

    "The recognition of Kosovo's sovereignty will pave the way to
    recognition of our sovereignty too," Saakjan said.

    It follows that the decision of the international community to
    grant Kosovo sovereignty may compel Armenia to officially recognize
    Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Needless to say, Yerevan will pull every
    string and call in every debt in international affairs to make sure
    that some other countries recognize Nagorno-Karabakh too. The two
    equal sides will be able to initiate talks over unification only after
    that. "It may be some sort of asymmetric confederation," President
    Robert Kocharjan was quoted as saying.
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