The start of peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region has left some hopeful that a resolution to the decades-long conflict is near, but a former Armenian official said on Saturday that the problem would not be solved as long as “the Karabakh administration is not included in the talks.” Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, one of the mediators of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, will host Armenian President Serge Sarkisian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in the Volga city of Kazan to discuss a settlement to the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, an Azerbaijani territory occupied by Armenia since 1994. Expectations are high going into the meeting, which convenes on June 24. Sarkisian recently issued a statement saying: “We have had a quite long negotiation process. There is a concrete closeness of the parties. I guess time has come for the final views of the parties on the main principles to be expressed. I will go to Kazan with an expectation of participating in constructive talks.” In an e-mail to the Hürriyet Daily News, former foreign minister to the Armenian administration at Nagorno-Karabakh Masis Mayilyan said problems would not be solved unless the Karabakh administration is included in the talks. “Armenia and Azerbaijan may sign an agreement under international pressure,” Mayilyan said, but added that “if you look at the statements of both parties, it is seen that reconciliation is extremely difficult.” He also said the international mediators should deter Azerbaijan from continuously repeating its war threats. ‘Independence should be recognized’ Armenian Center for National and International Studies Director Manvel Sargsyan, the first representative from Nagorno-Karabakh in Yerevan, said he was not very optimistic about the outcome of the talks. For an agreement to be reached, he said, Azerbaijan must recognize the Karabakh people’s right to self-determination. “I don’t think Azerbaijan will take such a step,” he said. In order for a real breakthrough to occur in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, Sargsyan said, its independence must first be recognized in the international arena, and after this step, talks including the Karabakh administration can begin. Mayilyan expressed similar sentiments, saying: “The international recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh independence is able to close the military perspective. The realization of this scenario will provide the region a long-term stability.” Armenia cannot unilaterally reconcile with Azerbaijan without Karabakh’s participation, Sargsyan said, adding that no deal would be accepted without the participation of Nagorno-Karabakh. When asked about the possibility of war, Sargsyan claimed it would not be a decision made by Azerbaijan, but “the possibility of a new war can only emerge with the wish of big powers. Azerbaijan alone cannot take such a step.” Speaking at the Council of Europe on Wednesday, President Sarkisian said he was “full of optimism and strongly hope[d] it will be possible to find a common denominator” at the upcoming meeting. “It would be more logical for the Council of Europe to engage with Karabakh before discussing the status of Karabakh,” Sarkisian said. “Indigenous Armenian people have lived in Karabakh for centuries, no one may question the right of the people of Karabakh to live in their land freely and decide their destiny.” Sarkisian also said Armenia was under the blockade of Turkey and Azerbaijan, leaving no choice but nuclear energy for Armenia. http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=russia-hosts-karabakh-peace-talks-2011-06-24

---