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Russia bargains with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh; US steps up
efforts - opinions
13:45 * 06.07.14
Russia has started bargaining with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh,
and the United States is stepping up its efforts to show Russia it is
not the only one to deal with the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, Director of the Armenian Center for Political and
International Relations Aghasi Yenokyan told Tert.am as he commented
on US Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern's statement that it is
important for Nagorno-Karabakh that the seven other regions be
returned to Azerbaijan.
"The United States is issuing a reminder that it is the co-chairs that
are dealing with the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process and they are
expected to reach a consensus on the problem. The second major reason
for such statements, which have lately become frequent, is that the US
sees a threat in Russia not regarding the territories in question as
separate in negotiating with Azerbaijan. That is, it is ready, within
the limits of the possible, to concede the territories - and
Nagorno-Karabakh itself - to Azerbaijan," Yenokyan said.
Asked to substantiate his statement on Russia bargaining with
Azerbaijan, he said:
"The recent period has seen more Russian officials' visits to
Azerbaijan, intensified dialogue and Russia's consistent efforts to
persuade Azerbaijan into joining the Eurasian Economic Union (EaEU).
It is natural, because the EaEU, in terms of documents, as well as in
economic respects, is more a union of oil-producing countries, and
Azerbaijan's participation is important. However, Azerbaijan and
Russia are seeking to make use of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem in
their negotiations."
According to Yenokyan, Russian publicity media are already trying to
voice their opinions of Nagorno-Karabakh.
"Armenia should employ all the diplomatic and political mechanisms to
prevent any concessions on Nagorno-Karabakh. But no obvious steps have
so far been made," he said.
Political Scientist Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan noted it is actually one
more response to a statement by OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair James
Warlick.
"I think that the reason for that statement by Mr Warlick was the
Ukraine crisis and, against that background, the US policy of creating
problems in new regions. Given the developments in recent months, the
US seems to have rejected this scenario. Therefore, the USA's previous
program of recording 'progress' in the peace process and implementing
it here recedes into the background. It seems to have lost interest in
the recent two months. So that statement did not arouse concern then.
I think it is nothing but a response to it now, and the US Embassy is
not seeking to accomplish any program objectives," Melik-Shahnazaryan
said.
As to his opinion of the Armenian side's response to such statements, he said:
"In any case, when Mr Warlick stated that our response was rather
passive, without any serious attention drawn to the fact of Mr Warlick
distorting the Madrid principles - they allegedly only appeared to the
Madrid principles. In this respect, I think, diplomatically, we should
be more consistent so that nothing be commented in an arbitrary way
and no territorial claims to Armenia be so easily made."
Armenian News - Tert.am
efforts - opinions
13:45 * 06.07.14
Russia has started bargaining with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh,
and the United States is stepping up its efforts to show Russia it is
not the only one to deal with the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, Director of the Armenian Center for Political and
International Relations Aghasi Yenokyan told Tert.am as he commented
on US Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern's statement that it is
important for Nagorno-Karabakh that the seven other regions be
returned to Azerbaijan.
"The United States is issuing a reminder that it is the co-chairs that
are dealing with the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process and they are
expected to reach a consensus on the problem. The second major reason
for such statements, which have lately become frequent, is that the US
sees a threat in Russia not regarding the territories in question as
separate in negotiating with Azerbaijan. That is, it is ready, within
the limits of the possible, to concede the territories - and
Nagorno-Karabakh itself - to Azerbaijan," Yenokyan said.
Asked to substantiate his statement on Russia bargaining with
Azerbaijan, he said:
"The recent period has seen more Russian officials' visits to
Azerbaijan, intensified dialogue and Russia's consistent efforts to
persuade Azerbaijan into joining the Eurasian Economic Union (EaEU).
It is natural, because the EaEU, in terms of documents, as well as in
economic respects, is more a union of oil-producing countries, and
Azerbaijan's participation is important. However, Azerbaijan and
Russia are seeking to make use of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem in
their negotiations."
According to Yenokyan, Russian publicity media are already trying to
voice their opinions of Nagorno-Karabakh.
"Armenia should employ all the diplomatic and political mechanisms to
prevent any concessions on Nagorno-Karabakh. But no obvious steps have
so far been made," he said.
Political Scientist Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan noted it is actually one
more response to a statement by OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair James
Warlick.
"I think that the reason for that statement by Mr Warlick was the
Ukraine crisis and, against that background, the US policy of creating
problems in new regions. Given the developments in recent months, the
US seems to have rejected this scenario. Therefore, the USA's previous
program of recording 'progress' in the peace process and implementing
it here recedes into the background. It seems to have lost interest in
the recent two months. So that statement did not arouse concern then.
I think it is nothing but a response to it now, and the US Embassy is
not seeking to accomplish any program objectives," Melik-Shahnazaryan
said.
As to his opinion of the Armenian side's response to such statements, he said:
"In any case, when Mr Warlick stated that our response was rather
passive, without any serious attention drawn to the fact of Mr Warlick
distorting the Madrid principles - they allegedly only appeared to the
Madrid principles. In this respect, I think, diplomatically, we should
be more consistent so that nothing be commented in an arbitrary way
and no territorial claims to Armenia be so easily made."
Armenian News - Tert.am