ARMENIAN AND AZERI AUTHORITIES SHOULD PREPARE THEIR SOCIETIES FOR PEACE
2005-10-10
DeFacto
International Crisis Group representative for the South Caucasus Sabina Freizer believes Armenian and Azeri leadership should immediately begin preparing both countries’ societies for peace and mutual compromises necessary for the achievement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict long – term settlement.
Nagorno Karabakh conflict should not be considered “frozen” – people are dying of fire – exchanges along the contact line and mines, it goes on influencing upon the civil population’s life.[...]. She said lack of contacts between the societies had resulted in the fact that the two countries’ young generation [...] {is} more aggressive than the Soviet one. It concerns mostly Azerbaijan. Freizer blamed Azeri leadership forbidding Azeris to contact with Armenians. She noted Azeri identified themselves with Turks and believed their duty was to liberate the lands from Armenians. In her words, more than 50% of Azeri population does not see the alternative to the military settlement of the conflict.
[...]
As for a referendum, according to Freizer, there are still a lot of problems to be discussed and clarified. ICG suggests that the referendum should be conducted with the participation of Armenians and Azeris.
Speaking about the independence referendum conducted in Nagorno Karabakh in 1991, Freizer noted Azerbaijan did not recognize its outcomes. ICG suggests that a new referendum should be conducted for its outcomes to be recognized by Azerbaijan and be fixed in a peace agreement. It is difficult to speak about the referendum’s technical details now. No one knows what is going to take place in 10 – 15 years, who will finance the referendum and monitor it. The issue referring to the referendum is still painful. A few months ago Azeri FM rejected the idea. And yet, according to the Azeri Constitution, a referendum cannot be conducted in one part of the Republic, it must be held on the whole territory of the country, noted Freizer.
[...]
In this connection RA MFA representative Varuzhan Nersisyan noted the issue referring to the status of Nagorno Karabakh could not be postponed. The status is clear. He stated only its fixation’s form could be put off.
He added the issue relevant to troops pullout from the territories surrounding the NK should be discussed very carefully. In the diplomat’s opinion, the problem is that Azerbaijan can change its intentions, while Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh will not have the lever of influence.
Varuzhan Nersisyan said it was obvious for Armenia that only one referendum was to be conducted in NKR, as it concerned Nagorno Karabakh people’s security. The Armenian diplomat stressed only the people who lived in NKR or had lived there before the conflict should make their choice.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
DeFacto
International Crisis Group representative for the South Caucasus Sabina Freizer believes Armenian and Azeri leadership should immediately begin preparing both countries’ societies for peace and mutual compromises necessary for the achievement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict long – term settlement.
Nagorno Karabakh conflict should not be considered “frozen” – people are dying of fire – exchanges along the contact line and mines, it goes on influencing upon the civil population’s life.[...]. She said lack of contacts between the societies had resulted in the fact that the two countries’ young generation [...] {is} more aggressive than the Soviet one. It concerns mostly Azerbaijan. Freizer blamed Azeri leadership forbidding Azeris to contact with Armenians. She noted Azeri identified themselves with Turks and believed their duty was to liberate the lands from Armenians. In her words, more than 50% of Azeri population does not see the alternative to the military settlement of the conflict.
[...]
As for a referendum, according to Freizer, there are still a lot of problems to be discussed and clarified. ICG suggests that the referendum should be conducted with the participation of Armenians and Azeris.
Speaking about the independence referendum conducted in Nagorno Karabakh in 1991, Freizer noted Azerbaijan did not recognize its outcomes. ICG suggests that a new referendum should be conducted for its outcomes to be recognized by Azerbaijan and be fixed in a peace agreement. It is difficult to speak about the referendum’s technical details now. No one knows what is going to take place in 10 – 15 years, who will finance the referendum and monitor it. The issue referring to the referendum is still painful. A few months ago Azeri FM rejected the idea. And yet, according to the Azeri Constitution, a referendum cannot be conducted in one part of the Republic, it must be held on the whole territory of the country, noted Freizer.
[...]
In this connection RA MFA representative Varuzhan Nersisyan noted the issue referring to the status of Nagorno Karabakh could not be postponed. The status is clear. He stated only its fixation’s form could be put off.
He added the issue relevant to troops pullout from the territories surrounding the NK should be discussed very carefully. In the diplomat’s opinion, the problem is that Azerbaijan can change its intentions, while Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh will not have the lever of influence.
Varuzhan Nersisyan said it was obvious for Armenia that only one referendum was to be conducted in NKR, as it concerned Nagorno Karabakh people’s security. The Armenian diplomat stressed only the people who lived in NKR or had lived there before the conflict should make their choice.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
posted by Vahe Balabanian at 7:42 AM
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