#18 - JRL 2006-221 - JRL Home
Regnum.ru
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October 2, 2006
Expert: “Recognition of so-called unrecognized states is not far off”

“Russia has always stuck to the principle of territorial integrity in conflict settlement in the post-Soviet territories; however, as time goes by, we have come to understanding that settlement of those conflicts on the ground of the territorial integrity concept without infringing upon the right for self-determination is impossible. Today we can see a drastic turn in attitudes of policymakers towards necessity to respect the right for self-determination and people’s will,” Head of the Institute for CIS Countries, MP Konstantin Zatulin, who has visited recently Stepanakert, is quoted as saying on air of Nagorno Karabakh Public Television.

As a REGNUM correspondent in Stepanakert reports, at the same time Zatulin added that Russia considers ceasefire as the main achievement and nonrenewal of operations in conflict zones. “Recognition of the so-called unrecognized states is not far off. Unrecognized republics have all attributes of state system and stable democratic system,” Konstantin Zatulin is quoted as saying.

Speaking on the referendum in Transdnestr, the MP noted: “If the West considers it appropriate to hold another referendum in Nagorno Karabakh, why doesn’t it recognize the outcome of the referendum in Transdnestr?” At the same time, he noted that in Russia the struggle of opinions has continued over the issue of recognizing the Transdnestr independence. According to the expert, recognition of Kosovo independence can become a precedent for recognizing newly established countries in the post-Soviet territory, particularly, for Nagorno Karabakh.