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REVELATION BY THE CO-CHAIRS
Leonid Martirossian
Editor-in-Chief of Azat Artsakh newspaper
Tuesday, 06 March 2012 13:18
On March 3, within a regional visit, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen
Robert Bradtke (USA), Igor Popov (Russia), and Jacques Faure (France),
who replaced long-term representative of France Bernard Fassier at
this position, visited the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.
Every visit by international mediators to the region of the
Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict causes the public interest of the
parties to the conflict and, perhaps, some hope to achieve even if the
slightest progress in the settlement process. However, to be fair, it
should also be noted that certain skepticism is noticed in the
societies of the parties about the prospects of the issue's solution,
the reasons of which is interpreted by each party to the conflict in
its own way. However, the reality is that Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh,
and Azerbaijan are keeping to their positions, which leaves no room
for optimism.
If we abstract away from the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict itself and
give purely conceptual arguments, to defend one's own stance is not,
in general, reprehensible, because each party should defend its own
interests, which is quite natural. And if it is really interested in
solving a particular problem, so it must respect also the interests of
its opponent. But in case of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict, the
abstract conceptual theory doesn't work, because official Baku, in
addition to cynically ignoring the interests of Nagorno-Karabakh, does
not even hide its intention to destroy it completely. That, of course,
cannot but cause the corresponding reaction by the NKR authorities.
The issue of normalization of relations with Azerbaijan was touched
upon also during the recent visit of the mediators to Stepanakert. NKR
President Bako Sahakyan's position was the most specific - without
restoration of the negotiations' full format and equal participation
of the NKR in all the stages of the negotiation process it is
impossible to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the conflict.
Indeed, how can one hope for improving the Azerbaijani-Karabakh
relations, not to mention the resolution of the conflict itself, if
Azerbaijan, ignoring the objective realities, does not intend to take
into consideration Nagorno Karabakh's position?
As the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs reported to journalists in
Stepanakert, in their conversation with the NKR President, they had
also discussed the situation established after the meeting of the
Russian, Armenian, and Azerbaijani Presidents in this January in
Sochi. It is known that the then joint statement of the Presidents
noted as a confidence-building measure the development of humanitarian
contacts between the parties, in particular, a dialogue between
representatives of the intelligentsia, scientific and public circles.
Without idealizing the so-called public diplomacy, though we should
note that it can relieve to a certain extent the tension in the
relations between the parties to the conflict. However, official Baku
manages to politicize even the humanitarian measures, turning the
generally good wishes into outright profanity. "We believe that this
is a good initiative, because it is very important that the public
knows that Nagorno Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan. The
more often representatives of the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities
of Nagorno-Karabakh meet, the sooner peace and stability will be
established in the region", has recently stated Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mamedyarov.
As they say in such cases, no comment. But, we'll still comment on the
statements of the Azerbaijani Minister. Azerbaijan is well aware of
the fact that the OSCE Budapest Summit recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as
an equal party to the conflict. Moreover, in the war years, when the
Azerbaijani units tried to escape the strikes of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Defense Army, the authorities of Azerbaijan represented by late Heydar
Aliev had repeatedly appealed directly not to the so-called Armenian
community, but to the NKR leadership with a plaintive request for a
cease-fire. Apparently, official Baku is seriously affected by
amnesia, since it has forgotten too quickly about the epistolary
passions of its national leader and has repeatedly tried to bring down
the Nagorno Karabakh Republic to the level of a community. Moreover,
official Baku, in spite of the assumed international obligations and
against the settlement concept proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group,
continues its militaristic policy and advances the categorical
principle of "either Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, or a war" for the
issue's solution. Or, it continues to cherish ephemeral hopes for the
"return of Karabakh". But rather, it is a good mine in a bad game,
very bad game. And it isn't accidental at all that NKR President Bako
Sahakyan emphasized at the noted meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs that the independence and security of Artsakh could not be
weakened even slightly. This is just the vital interest of the
Karabakh party reflecting the NKR people's will.
This month marks 20 years of the OSCE Minsk Group creation. But, it
hasn't managed yet to carry out its basic mission - to resolve the
Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict. As the mediators noted in Stepanakert,
the main achievement of the Minsk Group is preventing the resumption
of the war. And the activities on the conflict settlement are
underway, but they admitted that the solution was still far away.
However, considering the abovementioned, no other revelation by the
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs could be expected.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Leonid Martirossian
Editor-in-Chief of Azat Artsakh newspaper
Tuesday, 06 March 2012 13:18
On March 3, within a regional visit, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen
Robert Bradtke (USA), Igor Popov (Russia), and Jacques Faure (France),
who replaced long-term representative of France Bernard Fassier at
this position, visited the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.
Every visit by international mediators to the region of the
Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict causes the public interest of the
parties to the conflict and, perhaps, some hope to achieve even if the
slightest progress in the settlement process. However, to be fair, it
should also be noted that certain skepticism is noticed in the
societies of the parties about the prospects of the issue's solution,
the reasons of which is interpreted by each party to the conflict in
its own way. However, the reality is that Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh,
and Azerbaijan are keeping to their positions, which leaves no room
for optimism.
If we abstract away from the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict itself and
give purely conceptual arguments, to defend one's own stance is not,
in general, reprehensible, because each party should defend its own
interests, which is quite natural. And if it is really interested in
solving a particular problem, so it must respect also the interests of
its opponent. But in case of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict, the
abstract conceptual theory doesn't work, because official Baku, in
addition to cynically ignoring the interests of Nagorno-Karabakh, does
not even hide its intention to destroy it completely. That, of course,
cannot but cause the corresponding reaction by the NKR authorities.
The issue of normalization of relations with Azerbaijan was touched
upon also during the recent visit of the mediators to Stepanakert. NKR
President Bako Sahakyan's position was the most specific - without
restoration of the negotiations' full format and equal participation
of the NKR in all the stages of the negotiation process it is
impossible to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the conflict.
Indeed, how can one hope for improving the Azerbaijani-Karabakh
relations, not to mention the resolution of the conflict itself, if
Azerbaijan, ignoring the objective realities, does not intend to take
into consideration Nagorno Karabakh's position?
As the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs reported to journalists in
Stepanakert, in their conversation with the NKR President, they had
also discussed the situation established after the meeting of the
Russian, Armenian, and Azerbaijani Presidents in this January in
Sochi. It is known that the then joint statement of the Presidents
noted as a confidence-building measure the development of humanitarian
contacts between the parties, in particular, a dialogue between
representatives of the intelligentsia, scientific and public circles.
Without idealizing the so-called public diplomacy, though we should
note that it can relieve to a certain extent the tension in the
relations between the parties to the conflict. However, official Baku
manages to politicize even the humanitarian measures, turning the
generally good wishes into outright profanity. "We believe that this
is a good initiative, because it is very important that the public
knows that Nagorno Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan. The
more often representatives of the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities
of Nagorno-Karabakh meet, the sooner peace and stability will be
established in the region", has recently stated Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mamedyarov.
As they say in such cases, no comment. But, we'll still comment on the
statements of the Azerbaijani Minister. Azerbaijan is well aware of
the fact that the OSCE Budapest Summit recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as
an equal party to the conflict. Moreover, in the war years, when the
Azerbaijani units tried to escape the strikes of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Defense Army, the authorities of Azerbaijan represented by late Heydar
Aliev had repeatedly appealed directly not to the so-called Armenian
community, but to the NKR leadership with a plaintive request for a
cease-fire. Apparently, official Baku is seriously affected by
amnesia, since it has forgotten too quickly about the epistolary
passions of its national leader and has repeatedly tried to bring down
the Nagorno Karabakh Republic to the level of a community. Moreover,
official Baku, in spite of the assumed international obligations and
against the settlement concept proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group,
continues its militaristic policy and advances the categorical
principle of "either Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, or a war" for the
issue's solution. Or, it continues to cherish ephemeral hopes for the
"return of Karabakh". But rather, it is a good mine in a bad game,
very bad game. And it isn't accidental at all that NKR President Bako
Sahakyan emphasized at the noted meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs that the independence and security of Artsakh could not be
weakened even slightly. This is just the vital interest of the
Karabakh party reflecting the NKR people's will.
This month marks 20 years of the OSCE Minsk Group creation. But, it
hasn't managed yet to carry out its basic mission - to resolve the
Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict. As the mediators noted in Stepanakert,
the main achievement of the Minsk Group is preventing the resumption
of the war. And the activities on the conflict settlement are
underway, but they admitted that the solution was still far away.
However, considering the abovementioned, no other revelation by the
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs could be expected.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress