Azerbaijan and Armenia Were Closer to Peace In Summer 2005

PanARMENIAN.Net - "Last year the International Crisis Group organized two reports on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The first report titled "Nagorno Karabakh. New glance at conflict" tells about the current situation in Nagorno Karabakh and surrounding territories as well as the living conditions of forced migrants living in Azerbaijan. The second one titled "Nagorno Karabakh. A plan for peace" is mostly dedicated to the negotiation process. It contains some recommendations to the governments of Armenia, Azerbaijan, de facto NKR government and international organizations," ICG Caucasus project director Sabine Freizer stated.



In her words, the plan of peaceful settlement stated in the second report was close to the contents of the plan negotiated with the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group. "As it can be seen from the statement made by the Co-chairs on June 22 in Vienna at the sitting of the OSCE Permanent Council it maintains the principles being negotiated," Freizer said.



Rating the situation as critical, Ms. Freizer said that in summer 2005 Azerbaijan and Armenia were much closer for achieving peace in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. "Before the Rambouillet meeting there was a bigger hope for peace, start of withdrawal of the Armenian forces from the seized territories and return of the Azeri displaced persons to their homes in mid 2006 or early 2007. Now this hope is vague while the mediators announced of their intention to stop activities for some period," she said, reported Azeri-Press.