Interview with Dessislava Roussanova, Projects Director Eurasia, International Alert.
Q: U.S., Russian and French Presidents issued a joint statement on Nagorno-Karabakh in G-8 summit in which they called on Baku and Yerevan to agree upon basic principles of the conflict resolution in June. Do you believe it can really be achieved so soon?
A: We know that reaching an agreement on the basic principles for resolving the conflict has been difficult, as any negotiations are difficult. But let’s remember that the presidents have been discussing and negotiating these framework principles for a while now. Any meeting of the two presidents gives us a new wave of hope that a negotiated solution to this conflict is possible.
The societies that have been involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for two decades need an indication that there is a peaceful way forward. The mood across the conflict divide today is getting more and more aggressive, tensions are escalating. Let’s hope that the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will find a compromised way out of this very dangerous stalemate.
Q: What do you expect from the meeting of the presidents to take place in Kazan at the end of the month?
A: Even a small step in the right direction at this meeting will be a breakthrough. I don’t think that anyone is expecting that a resolution of the problem will come out of one meeting. What is needed now is small steps forward.
Q: How can you explain mediation efforts of Russia which has organized almost all presidential meetings between Azerbaijan and Armenia?
A: President Medvedev is trying to take a lead in mediating between the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides, within the framework and as a Co-Chair of the Minsk Group, and this is admirable. Geographically the conflict is at Russia’s door-step, nobody wants instability in their back-yard and the Russian policy-makers are aware of the dangers for the wider region if hostilities are renewed around Nagorno-Karabakh.
Out of all international actors who are involved in assisting the resolution of this conflict Russia knows and understands the South Caucasus region best. We could only hope that President Medvedev succeeds in hs mediation efforts.
Q: Azerbaijani Defense Ministry official announced a few days ago that Armenia’s delaying Karabakh talks increases the chances of resumed war. How do you assess these chances?
A: The tensions across the conflict divide are really high. I think we are may be at this dangerous stage when every Azerbaijani or Armenian should take a moment to think – what way forward does he or she want for their societies, for their families. Do they really want another war?
Do they want to be involved in that war, as most probably renewed hostilities will impact directly on every Azerbaijani or Armenian. Or would they prefer to be wise and consider supporting a compromised, probably not ideal, but peaceful way forward. I feel that we are at such a phase now. Let’s hope that wisdom prevails.
Leyla Tagiyeva
News.Az
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