Stands of Armenian and Azerbaijan parties on key issues of Karabakh problem remain diametrically opposed

A meeting between parliamentary delegations of Armenia and Azerbaijan was held in Scotland on December 20 under the aegis of the South Caucasian Inter-Parliamentary Initiative and with the financial support of the London Information Network on Conflicts and State-Building (LINKS). Participants discussed a present state of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and prospects for its resolution.

Chairman of the Nagorno-Karabakh parliamentary standing commission on foreign relations Vagram Atanesian was a member of the Armenian delegation in the capacity of an expert.

Upon his return to Stepanakert, Vagram Atanesian noted that the parties did not discuss any specific models of the conflict resolution, they just expressed their visions of the problem and possible ways how it could be resolved. The deputies had been offered in advance to fill in a small questionnaire that was to disclose their attitude towards the problems of status of Nagorny Karabakh, status of the territories adjacent to it, refugees, prospects of running the communication blockade, prospects of economic cooperation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and prospects of diplomatic relations between these two countries being established. The answers showed stands of the Armenian and Azerbaijan parties on the key issues of the Karabakh settlement remained diametrically opposed, stressed the Karabakh deputy. "As a result of the meeting, I was given the impression that the South Caucasian Inter-Parliamentary Initiative was ready to involve unrecognized republics in its projects in future. Talks between parliamentary delegations of Georgia and Abkhazia are scheduled to be held under the aegis of this organization in July 2004, which suggests that the participation of Nagorny Karabakh in such actions is in sight too," said Vagram Atanesian.

Editors note: See also the article "South Caucasian Inter-Parliamentary Initiative meeting in Scotland: main subject-matter is Nagorny Karabakh".