Expert: a- new reality has emerged in Nagorno-Karabakh region

ArmInfo.A "new reality" has emerged in the Nagorno- Karabakh region this week. Olesya Vardanyan, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group (ICG) for the South Caucasus,  told the Kommersant newspaper. "Local authorities in Stepanakert have accepted the surrender, and now all attention will be directed to two topics: fulfilling the obligations they have undertaken, and resolving humanitarian problems in Nagorno-Karabakh. The problems of those people who don't understand whether they should stay or leave," the expert said.

She expressed confidence that if clashes can be avoided and if  Azerbaijan convinces local residents that they can stay (that is,  there will be no ethnic cleansing), then Baku and Yerevan will be  able to sign a peace treaty in the near future. But for now, she  says, there are a lot of unresolved issues. "How disarmament and  disbandment of local authorities will take place is unclear. Who will  be responsible for implementing the agreements? So far we have not  seen Baku making it clear whether it will appoint its leadership and  whether it will be connected with the local community. Will the new  leader be a local person or an "appointed from outside," the expert  noted.