Kazimirov: No Need to Invent New Cooperation Forms on Karabakh Settlement

PanARMENIAN.Net - «I am a bit surprised by the wording of the question: «can more active involvement of the EU give an additional impetus to Karabakh talks?» The matter is that France is an active participant of the Minsk Group, which represents the EU to a certain degree. Besides, Germany, Sweden [are MG members]. Thus, the EU is represented in the Karabakh settlement process,» OSCE MG former Russian Co-Chair Vladimir Kazimirov stated in an interview with the Golos Armenii. «Then another question arises: should all international organizations take part in the settlement? There is the CIS, which indeed took part, at least at the phase of stopping the bloodshed, there are other organizations. Should they all be participants? I believe, it is hard to invent greater chaos. Thus, no new forms of cooperation over the settlement should be invented. Instead maximal support should be provided to the structure, which has been immediately dealing with it for many years,» he remarked.



When commenting on assumptions that the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is in a stalemate, Kazimirov said, «I am not inclined either to euphoria or pessimism over the opportunities in 2006. These extreme points should be cut off, as they merely hamper the process of settlement itself.» In his words, there is nothing surprising in the Rambouillet meeting bearing no fruits. There were no outcomes during 12 years after the cease-fire in 1994. International shows should be avoided, the Russian diplomat added. In his words, some people have top-heavy expectations, while others are concerned for their leader not to make excessive concessions. «This is theater of absurd, international affairs are not seriously done this way. The show should be stopped and the meetings should be held in a working regime, even sometimes without preliminary announcement that a meeting is held. Of course, either of the parties is not going to do it,» he said.



«I always stuck to the viewpoint that was recognized by the OSCE as well that there are not two, but three conflicting parties in this dispute. In many documents, proposals of the mediators, co-chairs of the MG, a statement of an OSCE chairman-in-office this is openly stated. Moreover, the OSCE Budapest summit in 1994 decided the matter and commissioned the co-chairs to hold talks between the parties to conflict, not only between states, which have international recognition. Of course, Nagorno Karabakh not being a participant of the talks protracts the conflict settlement,» Russian diplomat said.