ArmInfo. Today, 24th March, in Vienna, the Third Armenian Azerbaijani Public Peace Forum was opened with an international Round Table on Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict - Challenges and Opportunities for Building Confidence Between Societies. Almost 40 Armenian and Azerbaijani civil society leaders, experts, intellectuals gave a start to the events that are going to continue in Vienna until 27th March.
The three Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group Ambassador Bernard Fassier, Ambassador Yury Merzlyakov and Matthew Bryza, as well as the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office for Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk and Mr. Alexandros Katsanis, representative of the current OSCE Chairman-in-Office, took part in the Forum.
Representative of International Alert Dessislava Roussanova reports that during almost 5- hours of open and frank discussion, the international mediators and civil society shared their views on the challenges and possibilities to build confidence between the Armenians and the Azerbaijanis today. This is a very rare opportunity when all international mediators in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process are discussing the different aspects of the conflict together with such a large civil society delegation from all sides of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict divide. In such sense, this is an event that marks a milestone in the Nagorno-Karabakh peacebuilding process.
After the round table, the mediator of the dialogue, International Alert's representative for Eurasia region Dessislava Roussanova, said: "The three Co-Chairmen had a united message to the Forum - war is not an option. But the Co-Chairmen were there not just to deliver their messages. They were there to listen, to engage in dialogue, and to discuss very frankly with civil society issues and aspects of the Nagorno-Karabakh peacebuiding process and the possible role that civil society could play in it. The discussion was very constructive, the tone was extremely positive. There was a desire among many that this collaboration between civil society and the mediators should become a regular cooperation."
The Armenian and Azerbaijani participants discussed their views on challenges and possibilities to increase the level of trust and confidence between the societies involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "The debate was absolutely open.", says Dessislava Roussanova. "Everybody present was expressing their views. There were some opinions which were far from each other, this was expected.
But there were also a lot of shared ideas. For example, the need for more human contacts between various groups across the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict divide was an issue shared by almost everyone. I have to admit that the tone of the dialogue was most of the time very constructive. The atmosphere in the room was quite positive. "
The opening of the Forum and the Round Table were attended also by other officials, diplomats, representatives of international organisations and experts on the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict. The Forum is a dialogue platform, where Armenian and Azerbaijani civil society leaders, experts, intellectuals come in their personal capacities to discuss issues that are key for the peaceful settlement of the Nagormo-Karabakh conflict. Mediator of this long term dialogue process has been the leading peacebuilding organisation International Alert. After the opening day the Forum will continue its sessions behind closed doors until 27th March. The ideas and the recommendations of the Forum will be made public after that.