Centre for Monitoring Democratic Processes «Quorum»

On June 12, Managing Director of REGNUM Novosti (News) Russian Federal Information Agency, Candidate of Historical Science Modest Kolerov and Director of Quorum Democratic Processes Monitoring Center Alexei Kochetkov, who had paid a visit to the Nagorno Karabagh Republic, held round-table discussions at the NKR MFA, with the participation of Deputies of the NKR NA, representatives of non-governmental organizations and the MFA diplomatic corps.

Modest Kolerov dwelled on the ongoing processes in the world, their impact on the situation in the South Caucasus, and, in particular, on the Karabagh conflict settlement. Speaking of the prospects of international recognition of the NKR, he noted that Russia’s facilities in the diplomatic sphere were limited, but the majority of the Russian people sympathized with the struggle of Nagorno Karabagh. He informed that according to the public opinion survey, about 65% of Russians supported that struggle.

Modest Kolerov also informed that the Russian people shared the opinion that any ways of the Karabagh conflict settlement must be political and peaceful. “Only a miserable amount of people in Russia support the military way of the issue’s solution”, noted the IA REGNUM Novosti Managing Director. Modest Kolerov emphasized that he had always declared for Nagorno Karabagh’s participation in the negotiations on the conflict settlement, which, according him, was also extremely important from diplomatic technology’s point of view. At the same time, he declared against speeding-up the conflict settlement process, especially in the context of connecting the settlement with a range of preconditions, in particular, with opening the Armenian-Turkish border, which, according to Mr. Kolerov, is fraught with certain threats.

“All the nations are equal, the fate of each being unique, and a nation’s fate cannot be exchanged with another’s”, Modest Kolerov noted. According to him, Nagorno Karabagh is surely an existing state, but it should intensify its foreign policy, in particular, ensure stable participation of Nagorno Karabagh’s representatives in international events on an expert level.

In his turn, Director of Quorum Democratic Processes Monitoring Center Alexei Kochetkov declared for the necessity of establishing corresponding relations between Russia and Nagorno Karabagh on public- and NGO levels. He noted the significant role of the civil society in the conflict settlement.  “The opinion of the civil society is, to a large extent, more important than that of the ruling Party”, he emphasized. At the same time, Alexei Kochetkov noted that the international community was poorly informed about the Karabagh conflict. According to him, Azerbaijan allocates huge amounts for propaganda, but it takes any step on introducing the NKR to the international community as a threat.

The participants of the round-table discussions expressed their opinions on the issues raised. Representatives of the NKR NGOs expressed their readiness to cooperate with their Russian associates.