«The most important in the past talks [of Armenian and Azeri Presidents] is that no confidence is built between the parties at Karabakh talks. In fact the talks became a case of two gentlemen – Presidents Aliyev and Kocharian,» Head the Department of Issues in International Relations of the Institute of Political and Military Analysis Sergey Markedonov told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his words, MPs, «third track» representatives, experts are not involved in the talks. «Rather they are involved, but bypassing the MG and not by its efforts. It would be very important to involve a wide circle of people, not mere narrow circle of consecrate ones,» he said.
The Russian analyst believes that being leaders of their states, the Presidents cannot either give promises to the opposing party, or compromise. «In case the circle of negotiators expands, the personal responsibility is shared between them. On the other hand, the diplomatic plane of the peace process (i.e. working out specific political formulas and solutions) should stop being a PR project and turn into a routine expert work. Thus, today the Nagorno Karabakh peace process needs «reloading.» One the one hand it needs involvement of new persons and fresh ideas, on the other – certain diplomatic «routinization.» The first measure will allow strengthening confidence to the opposing party, while the second – to make the talks a destiny of professionals, not first persons of the state. Just «refreshing» the Karabakh settlement should be a priority task in 2007,» the Russian analyst believes.
