“I support Azerbaijan’s keeping more constructive initiatives. These initiatives generally are the correct direction. On the other hand, they should be estimated in real way. It is hardly be on that the offer will cause in a large-scaled agreement. Of course, the question of opening the communications is important, but it is not the most important task”.
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These words were told by the former Russian co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, the deputy-chairman of the Russian Diplomats Association Vladimir Kazimirov in his exclusive interview to APA.
The former co-chairman stressed that though the talks are confidential, these initiatives are already known and noted that the mentioned initiatives follow getting foreign effect, but not to establish based collaboration with the Armenians: “Probably, foreign forums and upcoming parliamentary elections are taken into consideration here. But it is not all. It is more than 17 years that though the summons of the international structures, Azerbaijan keeps Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia in strong blockade and involves Turkey and other countries to it. That is why it is not so easy to believe such a sharp change”. V.Kazimirov recommends Armenians to review this offer comprehensively: “I think that these initiatives have useful features, but it is not right to hope very much”.
The former co-chairman informed that another step of Baku also arrests attention: “We can say this step was also taken in correct direction. The offer about establishing connection with the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh can be valued as withdrawing from the attempt to isolate the Armenians of Karabakh in the total from. On the other hand, a wish of forming a dialogue in the community level shows once again that Baku does not want to establish direct talks with Stepanakert. The UNO Security Council also wanted the direct talks to be held. Primarily cases of violating the tranquility started to take place in the distant areas from the territory Nagorno Karabakh”.
V.Kazimirov said that establishing relations between the sides is supported in all conflicts and as to him, Upper Karabakh’s being the side of conflict is shown from the international documents and some agreements obtained in 1993-1994 on limiting and stopping the fight operations: “Initiatives being of propaganda character evidently, can yield more results than the real policy”. The Russian former co-chairman considers that neither a way nor an oil pipeline can be guarantee of starting the fight operations in it, but can directly help it.
According to the words of V.Kazimirov, the Armenians primarily insist on determining the status of Nagorno Karabakh and the Azerbaijanis insist on freeing the occupied territories soon: “However, one problem being priority also exists – this is not strengthening the ceasefire, guarantee of not starting the fight operations and to refuse solving the conflict by force. Continuation of the conflicts resulting in serious human losses, expanding the war campaign, strengthening propaganda by the side against each-other, increasing the military budget makes it more important. Passing into solving the conflict and withdrawing the army in stages also is not possible without guarantee of only solving all conflicts in peaceful way after this”.
V.Kazimirov also expressed his relation to suggestion of experts’ joining the talks: “When importance of reflecting the agreed principles on the paper occurs, it is unavoidable. However, in its turn, this will yield in new difficulties on formula and details of the process. Sometimes a wish to use the general formulas to be acceptable for both sides occurs, but it will only allow avoiding difference of opinions for short period. With other words, intensive and large-scaled work is waiting for the experts”.