Settlement of the Karabakh conflict can be achieved, since it is not frozen, Goran Lannmarker, OSCE PA Special Representative on Nagorno-Karabakh and Georgia said speaking in Yerevan at the 73 Seminar of the NATO PA Rose Roth on "Regional Processes in the South Caucasus: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects".
"The solution of the Karabakh conflict is within the region and not outside it. External forces can only help the parties. It must be stressed that the OSCE Minsk Group is the sole framework for the settlement to this conflict, and any attempt to change this platform moving this issue to UN or the Council of Europe, only will drag out the problem," the OSCE special representative said.
According to Lennmarker, the Karabakh conflict must reach a solution acceptable to all parties. "In my opinion, the solution to the conflict must first of all ensure the security of Armenia and the Armenian people, and Azerbaijan should understand this. But Armenia also has to understand the situation and the position of Azerbaijan, who feels itself as a victim and a losing party in the conflict," Mr. Lennmarker said.
He stressed that the solution to the conflict exists, it has been discussed in detail, and little things have to be done. "The question of conflict resolution is now more at the political level, and the parties should be ready for the domestic debates," he said. He sees the political will and readiness of Yerevan to resolve the conflict and hopes that such willingness will be expressed by Baku as well.
"Now it is the very important to quickly and urgently to resolve the Karabakh conflict. Here we cannot speak about the near or distant future, we need the early decision," Lennmarker said.
The armed conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out in 1998, as result of the ethnic cleansing the latter launched in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions is now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.
