Ruben Safrastyan: Meeting in St. Petersburg is a small step in the right direction
The meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents in St. Petersburg was a small step in the right direction of the Karabakh conflict settlement, Professor Ruben Safrastyan, Director of the Oriental Studies Institute of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences, said at a press conference on June 21.
He stressed the importance of the arrangement to increase the number of international observers in the conflict zone. In the meantime, he pointed at the non-constructive approach of Azerbaijan, which has been torpedoing the peace process for many years. "It is hard to believe that Aliyev will quit that policy, however, the specified arrangement inspires optimism," he said. The expert also hopes that investigative mechanisms will be introduced to enhance the security in the conflict zone.
For his part, Kiro Manoyan, Head of the ARF Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office Kiro Manoyan noted that the results of the meeting were positive. He expressed hope that the arrangements will be carried out. He said that the increase of the number of international observers implies creation of investigative mechanisms.
At the same time, Manoyan thinks that at the next stage of negotiations, which will cover the issue of long- term settlement, the international community will exert pressure on the Armenian side. Probably, this will be done for comprehensive settlement of the conflict without agreeing the key principles. That is to say, the package solution may turn into a final one, which is unacceptable and unfavorable to the Armenian side. Nevertheless, Manoyan hopes that the Armenian side will show a tough stance and will be able to resist the pressure.
To recall, the Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia met in Saint Petersburg on June 20 2016 at the behest of Vladimir Putin. Following the consultations, the presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan adopted a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to normalizing the situation on the line of contact and giving their approval to an increase in the number of OSCE observers working in the conflict zone. The joint statement also expresses the parties' commitment to putting in place the conditions required for steady progress in negotiations on a political settlement to the conflict. The presidents made a point of their regular contacts on Karabakh and agree to continue them in such format as addition to the efforts by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs who were invited to the final stage of the meeting in St. Petersburg.