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Armenian minister says Azerbaijan not ready for Karabakh war
Arminfo, Yerevan
11 Mar 06
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan has said that Azerbaijan is
not ready for war over Nagornyy Karabakh.
In an interview to Armenian TV channel Shant, carried by Arminfo news
agency on 11 March, Sarkisyan said that the Azerbaijani leadership
will not risk starting war against Armenia. "The military resolution
of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict is simply ruled out. They cannot
daunt the Armenian side, nor can they change our position by this," he
said.
Oskanyan said that Azerbaijan can achieve a lot through
negotiations. "If today the Azerbaijani side is not ready to or cannot
take the risk of achieving the settlement of the issue by way of a
simple compromise, it will never risk finding a military solution to
the issue," he said.
The Azerbaijani leadership is not ready for any risk today, especially
considering the clear pressure from the international community
regarding this matter, Oskanyan said. Investment worth billions in
that country will be the first victim of new war, should it start.
"Nobody will allow Azerbaijan to unleash war against Armenia," he
stressed.
Oskanyan said that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's statement that
"Azerbaijan's territorial integrity is not subject to discussion" is
for "domestic use". He said that the key issue in the peace process is
the right of the people of Nagornyy Karabakh to
self-determination. "This has now become irreversible," he stressed,
adding that Azerbaijan will have to address this issue regardless of
whether it wants to or not. He said that major pressure is being
exerted on Azerbaijan with regard to this issue. He stressed that now
the essence of the matter is in the connection between the usage of
the right to self-determination and the resolution of all other
issues. "If we manage to correctly formulate this connection and come
to a compromise decision on this issue, I think it will make it
possible to push the process," he said.
Otherwise, it will mean that Azerbaijan remains on its maximalist
positions and the process still remains where it has been, he added.
The minister said that now it is Azerbaijan's turn to make
compromises. "We have made our share of compromises... I think what we
have given agreement on is the utmost line beyond which Armenia really
cannot go. At the same time, Azerbaijan has not yet reached that
line. So, really a lot depends on Azerbaijan today," he
stressed. "There is a balanced option on the negotiating table which
can be painful for both sides and at the same time provide great
opportunities. This chance cannot be missed. Azerbaijan must introduce
its share of compromises into the talks," he said. The minister added
that it is no coincidence that the US mediator in the Nagornyy
Karabakh peace process is going to visit the region. The mediator is
visiting in order to "take some promises from the Azerbaijani
president so that we can continue the process," Oskanyan said.
If the Karabakh peace talks between the Armenian and Azerbaijani
presidents held at Rambouillet in France on 10-11 February had been
successful, Nagornyy Karabakh would have been involved in the
negotiating process, Oskanyan said.
"Armenia must continue to be involved in the negotiating process. But
Karabakh must become a participant in the negotiating process at some
stage, and if progress had been achieved at Rambouillet, I think that
stage would have arrived, and Nagornyy Karabakh would have been
involved in the process," he said, adding that without Nagornyy
Karabakh's participation at this stage "we simply cannot imagine the
definitive settlement of the issue".
He said that Armenian Robert Kocharyan's statement on the possibility
of recognition of the independence of Nagornyy Karabakh was a message
to Azerbaijan which should have a think about it. "Azerbaijan must
understand that we eventually may see for ourselves... that they are
not ready to hold talks on what is on the negotiating table and that
they aspire to remain on their maximalist positions," he said. This
may also lead us to believe that "this position will not change and
that they, not reaching the maximum, may go for military action. This
must dictate some other steps on our side," the minister added.
Oskanyan said he does not believe that the Armenian side is losing the
propagandist warfare. "Although Turkey and Azerbaijan have more
possibilities today, nonetheless, Armenia is not in a bad position in
this regard either," he said. "The struggle is difficult, we are
making great efforts, but I believe that basically we are managing to
maintain the balance," he said. At the same time, he agreed that the
propagandist warfare intensified following the Rambouillet talks.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Arminfo, Yerevan
11 Mar 06
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan has said that Azerbaijan is
not ready for war over Nagornyy Karabakh.
In an interview to Armenian TV channel Shant, carried by Arminfo news
agency on 11 March, Sarkisyan said that the Azerbaijani leadership
will not risk starting war against Armenia. "The military resolution
of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict is simply ruled out. They cannot
daunt the Armenian side, nor can they change our position by this," he
said.
Oskanyan said that Azerbaijan can achieve a lot through
negotiations. "If today the Azerbaijani side is not ready to or cannot
take the risk of achieving the settlement of the issue by way of a
simple compromise, it will never risk finding a military solution to
the issue," he said.
The Azerbaijani leadership is not ready for any risk today, especially
considering the clear pressure from the international community
regarding this matter, Oskanyan said. Investment worth billions in
that country will be the first victim of new war, should it start.
"Nobody will allow Azerbaijan to unleash war against Armenia," he
stressed.
Oskanyan said that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's statement that
"Azerbaijan's territorial integrity is not subject to discussion" is
for "domestic use". He said that the key issue in the peace process is
the right of the people of Nagornyy Karabakh to
self-determination. "This has now become irreversible," he stressed,
adding that Azerbaijan will have to address this issue regardless of
whether it wants to or not. He said that major pressure is being
exerted on Azerbaijan with regard to this issue. He stressed that now
the essence of the matter is in the connection between the usage of
the right to self-determination and the resolution of all other
issues. "If we manage to correctly formulate this connection and come
to a compromise decision on this issue, I think it will make it
possible to push the process," he said.
Otherwise, it will mean that Azerbaijan remains on its maximalist
positions and the process still remains where it has been, he added.
The minister said that now it is Azerbaijan's turn to make
compromises. "We have made our share of compromises... I think what we
have given agreement on is the utmost line beyond which Armenia really
cannot go. At the same time, Azerbaijan has not yet reached that
line. So, really a lot depends on Azerbaijan today," he
stressed. "There is a balanced option on the negotiating table which
can be painful for both sides and at the same time provide great
opportunities. This chance cannot be missed. Azerbaijan must introduce
its share of compromises into the talks," he said. The minister added
that it is no coincidence that the US mediator in the Nagornyy
Karabakh peace process is going to visit the region. The mediator is
visiting in order to "take some promises from the Azerbaijani
president so that we can continue the process," Oskanyan said.
If the Karabakh peace talks between the Armenian and Azerbaijani
presidents held at Rambouillet in France on 10-11 February had been
successful, Nagornyy Karabakh would have been involved in the
negotiating process, Oskanyan said.
"Armenia must continue to be involved in the negotiating process. But
Karabakh must become a participant in the negotiating process at some
stage, and if progress had been achieved at Rambouillet, I think that
stage would have arrived, and Nagornyy Karabakh would have been
involved in the process," he said, adding that without Nagornyy
Karabakh's participation at this stage "we simply cannot imagine the
definitive settlement of the issue".
He said that Armenian Robert Kocharyan's statement on the possibility
of recognition of the independence of Nagornyy Karabakh was a message
to Azerbaijan which should have a think about it. "Azerbaijan must
understand that we eventually may see for ourselves... that they are
not ready to hold talks on what is on the negotiating table and that
they aspire to remain on their maximalist positions," he said. This
may also lead us to believe that "this position will not change and
that they, not reaching the maximum, may go for military action. This
must dictate some other steps on our side," the minister added.
Oskanyan said he does not believe that the Armenian side is losing the
propagandist warfare. "Although Turkey and Azerbaijan have more
possibilities today, nonetheless, Armenia is not in a bad position in
this regard either," he said. "The struggle is difficult, we are
making great efforts, but I believe that basically we are managing to
maintain the balance," he said. At the same time, he agreed that the
propagandist warfare intensified following the Rambouillet talks.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress