Ohanyan: Speaking of Final Solution of Karabakh Issue Early

PanARMENIAN.Net - "2006 creates favorable conditions for resumption and development of the talks, which is basically conditioned by the domestic situation in the states that are parties to the conflict. I believe that certain steps to solve the issue will be taken, however speaking of the final settlement is early," NKR Defense Minister, lieutenant general Seyran Ohanyan told journalists. He emphasized that without NK participation no decisions should be made. "We should be direct participants of the process of settlement of the issue," NKR Defense Minister said. Ohanyan did not agree with some statements that the settlement process under the aegis of the OSCE is an "imitation." "The talks within the OSCE MG containing the idea of peace and solution of the issue in peace speaks these are not imitation," he remarked.



Speaking of the planned visit of representatives of the OSCE High-Level Planning Group (HLPG) to NK and adjacent territories controlled by the NKR, the Minister remarked that the HLPG intends to study the situation at the front line, specifically examine possible deployment of command posts and control units in the Karabakh conflict zone. The Group proposals, in the Minister's words, will be discussed by the Karabakh party. Answering a question on the prospect on sending a peacekeeping contingent to the conflict zone and possible consequences of the step, Mr. Ohanyan said, "During all these years we were able to sustain peace without participation of a third force and owing to the balance of power. We should not fear sending peacekeepers, as the name itself "peacekeeping forces" speaks they will continue efforts to sustain peace at the front line." In the Minister's words, the NKR Defense Army is the most reliable peacekeeping force in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone, reported IA Regnum.