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BAKU EQUATED KARABAKH RESIDENTS WITH TERRORISTS
by Yuri Roks
WPS Agency
December 8, 2010 Wednesday
Russia
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, December 8, 2010, p. 7
[translated from Russian]
AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN MEDIA: FULL-SCALE WAR IS FEARED; Azerbaijan
and Armenia: political scientists tend to dismiss militarist calls
in the media as insignificant.
Azerbaijani and Armenian media outlets featured statements made by
senior functionaries of their respective states showing that the two
countries were prepared for a full-scale shooting war. Representatives
of the Azerbaijani establishment talked the necessity of an
counter-terrorism operation in Nagorno-Karabakh. Yerevan and
Stepanakert promised "adequate response" to the aggression. Media
reports even indicated that Azerbaijani and Armenian diasporas were
mobilizing volunteers.
Restricted to the media for the time being, escalation of tension
began right after the OSCE summit in Astana on December 1 and 2 which
political scientists almost unanimously called a waste of time.
Renewal of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh might appear inevitable
to an outsider. Not even the rumored appearance of volunteers from
abroad is an exaggeration. After all, mercenaries already fought in
Nagorno-Karabakh. Russian Islamic Committee Chairman Heydar Jemal
meanwhile announced that the problem of Karabakh should have been
settled by force long ago, without endless and pointless negotiations.
That his statement did nothing to deescalate tension need not be said.
The situation does look like a stalemate. Azerbaijan remains unable
to achieve a breakthrough in talks and push into the foreground the
principle of territorial integrity under whose aegis, Baku believes,
Nagorno-Karabakh ought to invoke its right to self-determination.
Armenia keeps saying that Karabakh already invoked this right and
expressed its will in two referendums. Yerevan complains that the
international community is unwilling to honor the choice made by the
people of Nagorno-Karabakh.
"I'm prepared to challenge the assumption that the OSCE summit was
an absolute failure. At the very least, some progress was made in
the process of Karabakh conflict resolution. What I mean is that
presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia signed the Muskoka Declaration
that outlines the Madrid Principles," said Stepan Grigorjan, the head
of the Globalization and Regional Cooperation Center (Yerevan).
The G8 summit in Huntsville, Canada, this June adopted the so called
Muskoka Declaration of presidents of the countries comprising the OSCE
Minsk Group (Russia, France, United States). The document stands for
the return of territories around Nagorno-Karabakh; interim status for
Nagorno-Karabakh that will ensure its security and self-governance;
corridor linking Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh; final determination
of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh in a legally binding referendum;
return of refugees; international guarantees of security including
peacekeeping operation. The document advises the involved parties to
abstain from actions and statements that might compromise stability.
"In other words, Ilham Aliyev and Serj Sargsjan confirmed the resolve
to tackle the problem by peaceful means. And yet, Azerbaijani and
Armenian societies do include the so called irreconcilable, the people
who will object to all and any compromises. It is no wonder that we've
been hearing these militarist calls, and we will be hearing them yet,"
said Grigorjan.
A political scientist who visited both countries the other day
said that Azerbaijani and Armenian societies were quite radical and
determined not to make a single concession to the other country.
Experts in both countries are more or less evenly divided between
those who stand for negotiations and trust-building measures and
whose who object to them. "Remember the meeting of the presidents of
Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia in Astrakhan? It was called a waste
of time too, but it was not. The agreements made there did have a
healing effect on the situation in general... An Armenian church was
restored in Baku. That was a gesture aimed to build up trust between
the two countries. Many more steps like that are needed though,"
said Grigorjan.
Azerbaijani political scientist and lawmaker Rasim Musabekov said that
there had been periods of even worse tension between Baku and Yerevan
in the past. "Analysis of media reports plainly exposes this whole
campaign as a deliberate attempt to escalate tension. That's not what
I call productive," said Musabekov. "As for the summit in Astana...
all I can say is that the presidents joined the Muskoka Declaration
and thus pledged to continue to look for a compromise without going
to war."
From: A. Papazian
by Yuri Roks
WPS Agency
December 8, 2010 Wednesday
Russia
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, December 8, 2010, p. 7
[translated from Russian]
AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN MEDIA: FULL-SCALE WAR IS FEARED; Azerbaijan
and Armenia: political scientists tend to dismiss militarist calls
in the media as insignificant.
Azerbaijani and Armenian media outlets featured statements made by
senior functionaries of their respective states showing that the two
countries were prepared for a full-scale shooting war. Representatives
of the Azerbaijani establishment talked the necessity of an
counter-terrorism operation in Nagorno-Karabakh. Yerevan and
Stepanakert promised "adequate response" to the aggression. Media
reports even indicated that Azerbaijani and Armenian diasporas were
mobilizing volunteers.
Restricted to the media for the time being, escalation of tension
began right after the OSCE summit in Astana on December 1 and 2 which
political scientists almost unanimously called a waste of time.
Renewal of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh might appear inevitable
to an outsider. Not even the rumored appearance of volunteers from
abroad is an exaggeration. After all, mercenaries already fought in
Nagorno-Karabakh. Russian Islamic Committee Chairman Heydar Jemal
meanwhile announced that the problem of Karabakh should have been
settled by force long ago, without endless and pointless negotiations.
That his statement did nothing to deescalate tension need not be said.
The situation does look like a stalemate. Azerbaijan remains unable
to achieve a breakthrough in talks and push into the foreground the
principle of territorial integrity under whose aegis, Baku believes,
Nagorno-Karabakh ought to invoke its right to self-determination.
Armenia keeps saying that Karabakh already invoked this right and
expressed its will in two referendums. Yerevan complains that the
international community is unwilling to honor the choice made by the
people of Nagorno-Karabakh.
"I'm prepared to challenge the assumption that the OSCE summit was
an absolute failure. At the very least, some progress was made in
the process of Karabakh conflict resolution. What I mean is that
presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia signed the Muskoka Declaration
that outlines the Madrid Principles," said Stepan Grigorjan, the head
of the Globalization and Regional Cooperation Center (Yerevan).
The G8 summit in Huntsville, Canada, this June adopted the so called
Muskoka Declaration of presidents of the countries comprising the OSCE
Minsk Group (Russia, France, United States). The document stands for
the return of territories around Nagorno-Karabakh; interim status for
Nagorno-Karabakh that will ensure its security and self-governance;
corridor linking Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh; final determination
of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh in a legally binding referendum;
return of refugees; international guarantees of security including
peacekeeping operation. The document advises the involved parties to
abstain from actions and statements that might compromise stability.
"In other words, Ilham Aliyev and Serj Sargsjan confirmed the resolve
to tackle the problem by peaceful means. And yet, Azerbaijani and
Armenian societies do include the so called irreconcilable, the people
who will object to all and any compromises. It is no wonder that we've
been hearing these militarist calls, and we will be hearing them yet,"
said Grigorjan.
A political scientist who visited both countries the other day
said that Azerbaijani and Armenian societies were quite radical and
determined not to make a single concession to the other country.
Experts in both countries are more or less evenly divided between
those who stand for negotiations and trust-building measures and
whose who object to them. "Remember the meeting of the presidents of
Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia in Astrakhan? It was called a waste
of time too, but it was not. The agreements made there did have a
healing effect on the situation in general... An Armenian church was
restored in Baku. That was a gesture aimed to build up trust between
the two countries. Many more steps like that are needed though,"
said Grigorjan.
Azerbaijani political scientist and lawmaker Rasim Musabekov said that
there had been periods of even worse tension between Baku and Yerevan
in the past. "Analysis of media reports plainly exposes this whole
campaign as a deliberate attempt to escalate tension. That's not what
I call productive," said Musabekov. "As for the summit in Astana...
all I can say is that the presidents joined the Muskoka Declaration
and thus pledged to continue to look for a compromise without going
to war."
From: A. Papazian