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BAKU: Pundit Says No Talks after Kocharyan's Annexation Remarks

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  • BAKU: Pundit Says No Talks after Kocharyan's Annexation Remarks

    Azeri pundit says no talks after Armenian leader's annexation remarks

    Ayna, Baku
    1 Mar 05


    Excerpt from X. Safaroglu report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ayna on 1
    March headlined "Deadlocked 'Prague principles'" and subheaded "The
    fact that the basis of negotiations has not been formed has made
    solution models ineffective"

    The Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers, Elmar Mammadyarov and
    Vardan Oskanyan, were expected to meet in Prague on 2 March for their
    sixth meeting within the framework of the "Prague process" [postponed
    till 4 March].

    The ministers will to discuss a solution to the Nagornyy Karabakh
    conflict. The two will also discuss the OSCE report on the monitoring
    of cases of Armenians settling illegally in the occupied [Azerbaijani]
    territories.

    Mammadyarov and Oskanyan last met in Prague on 11 January [this year].
    Meanwhile, the Armenian president has elaborated on his vision of how
    to solve the conflict.

    "Nagornyy Karabakh will either be independent or part of Armenia in
    the foreseeable future," Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said in
    an interview with Golos Armenii newspaper.

    He said that the negotiations process has become active and there is a
    slight hope for breakthrough. Kocharyan also said that some views on
    Nagornyy Karabakh's participation in the negotiations need to be
    corrected.

    [Passage omitted: reported details, importance of healthy approach to
    negotiations]

    The president of the so-called "Nagornyy Karabakh Republic", Artur
    Gukasyan, said that there is no alternative to a peaceable solution to
    the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.

    "Life has proven that the problem cannot be solved through war. The
    problem remains although we have won the war," Gukasyan said. The
    parties are not yet ready for solving the problem, he said.

    "It is necessary to make a clever compromise," the head of the
    separatist regime said, adding that propaganda should be intensified.

    "We understand that the Azerbaijanis are our neighbours. Our main aim
    is to have peace. We have to do whatever we can to prevent war
    here. It would be possible to ensure the development of the region
    after all the conflicting issues are resolved."

    He also noted that it does not matter how positive meetings between
    the presidents and the foreign ministers of the two countries are,
    they cannot replace the OSCE Minsk Group in the resolution of the
    conflict.

    Azerbaijani political analysts have convergent views on this.

    The former foreign minister, Tofiq Zulfuqarov, said that Kocharyan's
    statement is a repetition of his old position.

    "The negotiations are actually suspended following that
    statement. It's no use holding negotiations under the
    circumstances. This is not a peace process. The Armenians are hoping
    that someone from Azerbaijan may sign a defeatist deal."

    Such a statement in the run-up to the Prague meeting illustrates that
    the Armenians stick to their old position and are not interested in
    any breakthrough in the talks:


    "Such statements show that no talks are possible. By holding the
    negotiations, they are just killing time."

    Commenting on Gukasyan's statement that "the conflict should be
    resolved not through the meetings of the presidents, but within the
    framework of the Minsk Group", the former minister said that it is
    important to define a principle here.

    International organizations have said that the conflict can [only] be
    solved by the two countries, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

    The meetings between the presidents and the foreign ministers aim to
    reach a high-level agreement on some principles, Zulfuqarov said.

    "It is impossible to reach agreement on the principles after
    Kocharyan's statement. What is the basis for talks in the Minsk Group
    format if there is no agreed basis for the resolution of the
    conflict?"

    It's no use conducting negotiations with the principle "Karabakh
    should be part of Armenia", he noted.

    Zulfuqarov believes that the proposals of the Minsk Group for
    resolving the conflict do not have any basis. Saying that "these 10
    years continue to pass in the same way as it has elapsed so far", the
    political analyst said that for the talks to be successful, the
    negotiating parties should show desire to achieve peace.

    "Armenia does not want to come to agreement and is setting forth such
    demands in advance which the other party cannot accept them. So, the
    negotiations will not yield any results."

    Zulfuqarov said that Armenia's policy contributes to increased tension
    in the region. "By frequently violating the cease-fire, Yerevan is
    aiming to force Baku to respond. They are sort of dragging Azerbaijan
    into sabotage."
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