"There is a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict"
Those, who say there is no resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, are mistaken. There is a solution and a very minute one. There is much to do and we simply have to be ready for the awaited inter-political debates," stated special informer of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Goran Lenmarker.
During the NATO Parliamentary Assembly's "Rose-Rout" seminar held in Yerevan, Lenmarker took note that it requires not only help from the majority, but the entire society "because there can be small groups that may impede the resolution."
He called on supporting Serzh Sargsyan. "The will exists, but there is a need for courage," said Lenmarker, adding: "The conflict must be solved very quickly. The settlement is urgent because there are people dying and will continue dying on the border. The people living today need a resolution."
Lenmarker also took note that the Azerbaijani side must come to terms with the Armenian side's interests for a settlement of the conflict. "Armenia must accept and understand Azerbaijan, which considers itself to be the side that suffered from the aggression."
Lenmarker said the conflict resolution must be bottom-up with an end to instilling hatred and enmity, especially in the media.
As far as the need to engage Nagorno-Karabakh in the talks is concerned, Lenmarker doesn't accept the change of format. He finds that there is no need to add conflicting sides due to the fact that both presidents are from Karabakh and have good command of the conflict to present it.
He drew parallels between the Armenian-Azerbaijani and Swedish-Finnish conflict when the Swedish-populated and autonomous lands went under French dominance. "But they equally "benefit" from Sweden and Finland because we have open borders," said Lenmarker.
Lenmarker also talked about the need for normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations. He underscored that it would be great if the Armenian side ratified the Protocols, adding that the "historical commission is a very positive phenomenon". "It is correct when the sides sit together and discuss their history."
Deputies Stepan Safaryan and Hermine Naghdalyan were against Lenmarker's statements. Naghdalyan surprisingly asked why the Armenian side should rush or whether Lenmarker had taken into account the fact that there is a new generation that didn't live in a time when Karabakh was part of Azerbaijan. Touching upon the parallels with Finland, Naghdalyan said the issue referred to physical existence and if Azerbaijan was a democratic country like Finland, that would be a totally different story. In response to this, Lenmarker said: "The citizens of Karabakh say they are more democratic than Armenians."
Confirmed
Following Lenmarker was Turkish delegate Kursat Atilga who announced that the latest developments have caused difficulties for Turkey's ratification of the Protocols, Armenian-Azerbaijani relations and the decision, but it was the decision of the RA Constitutional Court that complicated the issue more.
President of the NA standing committee on Euro-integration Naira Zohrabyan mentioned that Atilga's statement confirmed Armenia's fear and regretted to say that the Turkish side had seen preconditions in the CC decision.
Zohrabyan added that the Turkish side should not hope that the historical commission will discuss the facts of the 1915 Genocide.
