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BAKU: Return Of Occupied Territories To Azerbaijan Will Not Compensa

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  • BAKU: Return Of Occupied Territories To Azerbaijan Will Not Compensa

    Today
    Nov 18 2009
    Azerbaijan

    RETURN OF OCCUPIED TERRITORIES TO AZERBAIJAN WILL NOT COMPENSATE FOR MORAL AND GEOPOLITICAL DAMAGE FROM 20-YEAR OCCUPATION: RUSSIAN PHILOSOPHER

    Day.Az interview with renowned Russian philosopher of Azerbaijani
    origin, public figure and ideologist of a political Islam Heydar Jamal.

    Day.Az: Signing of Turkey-Armenia protocols on establishment of
    diplomatic relations was one of the most significant events that
    have recently happened in our region. Attitude to them is ambiguous
    both within Turkey and Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Do you think the
    protocols will harm Azerbaijan or bring a benefit in terms of a
    further resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?

    Heydar Jamal: The signing of the protocols violated the traditional
    balance of power around Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. Traditionally
    there were two allies - Armenia-Iran and Azerbaijan-Turkey. Moscow
    was further strengthening the Iranian-Armenian bloc not spoiling
    relations with Baku and Ankara, but on the contrary, actively using
    its relationship with them for its pragmatic interests.

    Now this well-established model is collapsing. Ankara's stance has
    become incoherent. On this backdrop, ambiguity of Moscow's behavior
    is increasing. Azerbaijan now is in a new situation in which Armenia,
    Iran and Russia play against Azerbaijan with Turkey's eroded position
    and slippery selfish western approach to the solution of the Karabakh
    issue. Under these conditions, challenge for Azerbaijan's national
    security increases dramatically.

    Q: Many foreign experts have recently expressed confidence that the
    Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be resolved soon. Similar optimistic
    projections were made also over the past few years. Is there a feeling
    that it will be really solved this time?

    A: It is well known what kind of "scenario" Armenia seeks to achieve.

    The "scenario" implies return of seven occupied regions to Azerbaijan
    including Karabakh and granting the widest possible autonomy to
    Karabakh under nominal sovereignty of Azerbaijan with a right to a
    free traffic of people and goods between Karabakh and Armenia. In
    other words, Azerbaijan would not be able to limit or even control
    mass entrance and exits of Armenians in Karabakh.

    Since Karabakh will nominally be an administrative part of Azerbaijan,
    it would be equivalent to right of Armenians to unlimited and
    uncontrolled entry into Azerbaijan without a corresponding right of
    the Karabakh Azerbaijanis to travel to Armenia.

    There is another aspect in addition to apparent provocation of
    such a "solution". Simply return of occupied territories without
    any conditions is unacceptable for Azerbaijan, because it does not
    compensate for the moral and geopolitical damage from the 20-year
    occupation and offers no guarantee for peace in the future.

    Q: Prior to signing of the protocols President Serzh Sargsyan went
    on to Pan-Armenian tour to persuade the diaspora that his intentions
    are appropriate. Though the Diaspora strongly opposed the protocols,
    Sargsyan signed them. A few days later he went to Moscow to ask money
    from the Armenian Diaspora in Russia. As a person who lives in Moscow,
    can you say what was the reaction of Armenians and Azerbaijanis to
    the ongoing events? Could Sargsyan achieve his goal or friendship
    with the Diaspora was spoiled?

    A: Armenian Diaspora not only in Russia but also in France and the
    U.S. were opposed to rapprochement with Turkey. In addition, there
    is a very powerful opposition to Sargsyan at home. All this together
    can lead to the fall Sargsyan's regime under certain conditions.

    It should be noted that development of Turkish-Armenian relations also
    contributes to Iran-Turkey rapproachement which is obviously contrary
    to the U.S.-Israeli interests in the region. So, today it is quite
    possible that Americans will begin to actively support anti-Sargsyan
    forces in Armenia.
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