May 16, 2003 - 19:36 AMT
NATO NOT INTENDING TO GET INVOLVED IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
NATO has no intention to get involved in the process of the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, North Atlantic Alliance secretary general George Robertson said when addressing Azeri parliamentarians in Baku yesterday. In his words, as reported by "Novosti" Russian agency, the conflict should be settled within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno Karabakh and via dialogue between the Azeri and Armenian presidents. At the same time, in the words of the NATO chief, the parties to conflict should "demonstrate activity" to settle this issue. Robertson again noted the important role of Russia in conflict settlement in the South Caucasus. "Russia has its interests in the region, the North Atlantic bloc can hold certain consultations with Russia over settlement of conflicts available here," - he said. Ensuring security depends on the states of the region themselves, emphasized the NATO secretary general.