June 21, 2007 - 16:09 AMT
Expert: Kosovo conflict cannot be compared to 4 conflicts in post-soviet space
The idea of Kosovo precedent is not real. Each conflict has its peculiarities although all four conflicts on the GUAM territory have much in common, said U.S. political scientist Vladimir Socor. However, according to him, these conflicts cannot be compared to the Kosovo one. "What's going on in Kosovo? An ethnic cleansing took place, afterwards all refugees returned to their homes. NATO, EU and U.S. keep the situation under control. There is a UN mandate of supreme representative of the international community for Kosovo, who is actually the Governor of the region. West's protectorate is observed there. Now, what's happening in Karabakh, Transdnistria, Abkhazia and South Ossetia? No NATO, no EU, no U.S., no UN mandate, no representative of the international community. Russia is the only power to control the military and political situation on these territories. Armenia is Russia's ally in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict," he said.

If someone wants to create a Kosovo precedent and apply it to the post-soviet space, the action should be accompanied with deployment of NATO forces and invitation of the European Union for economic responsibility, he said. "Presence of western international law enforcement organizations, liquidation of consequences of ethnic cleansings and return refugees to their homes should be secured," the American political scientist supposed, Day.az reports.