Alexander Iskandaryan: Karabakh conflict not to be resolved over next five years

March 23, 2010 - 15:40 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - OSCE Minsk Group French Co-Chair, Ambassador Bernard Fassier did speak in Yerevan about impossibility of Azerbaijan's victory in a new war, said Alexander Iskandaryan, director of the Caucasus Institute.

"I told the same to Azerbaijani Vesti.az web portal: the OSCE Minsk Group is unable to settle the problem instead of the conflicting parties. Progress can't be achieved as long as they block any possibility to resolve the conflict. The positions of the sides are too incompatible to speak about a compromise," he said.

According to Mr. Iskandaryan, Karabakh conflict will not be resolved over the next five years.

"Armenia will follow its complementary policy, combining military and strategic cooperation with Russia and developing relations with the West in the framework of the Eastern Partnership initiative and collaboration with NATO," he stressed.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.