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CRIMEA CRISIS: ANOTHER PRECEDENT FOR KARABAKH OR WHAT?
http://armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/52548/armenia_crimea_precedent_karabakh_analysis
ANALYSIS | 10.03.14 | 10:30
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
Many experts do not agree that the planned referendum in the Crimea
(Ukraine) on its accession to Russia and Moscow's recognition of its
results may become a precedent for other unresolved conflicts.
Editor-in-chief of the Karabakh-based political magazine "Analyticon"
Gegham Baghdasaryan, for example, believes that every crisis is unique
and attempts to measure conflicts by the same stick could prove futile.
"Every country decides its own fate. Every example that, at first
glance, can play a positive role in resolving the Karabakh conflict,
may ultimately prove to have no impact at all. We ourselves must do
everything for strengthening our statehood, we ought to find a place
in the civilized world - that is our task without considering any
precedents," said Baghdasaryan.
At the same time, experts feel pessimistic about the prospects of
Crimea's possible secession from Ukraine becoming a 'precedent'
for Karabakh. They remind that neither the recognition of Kosovo
by dozens of countries nor the cases of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
recognized by Russia, Venezuela and some other countries did become
precedents for Karabakh.
Russian expert Andrei Epifantsev reminds that in international
law there are two mutually exclusive principles - the right to
self-determination and territorial integrity. Their primacy in each
case is based on political rather than legal decisions.
At the same time, David Babayan, a spokesman for the NKR president,
stated that Karabakh has already passed that way and knows what
the process of the realization of the right to self-determination
of peoples is. Speaking about the position of official Stepanakert,
he also said: "The fate of the people is in its own hands. If Crimea
took such a decision, then it means that it meets its interests."
However, while in the case of Karabakh the matter concerns recognition
of independence, then in the Crimean case the objective is to join the
Russian Federation as one of its entities. In this sense, the precedent
of Crimea could be very dangerous for Karabakh. In Armenia opinions
already have been voiced that only Russia can "save" Karabakh. Last
year well-known Armenian publicist Zori Balayan even wrote a letter
to Russian President Vladimir Putin in which he suggested returning to
the 1813 Treaty of Gulistan under which Karabakh went from the Persian
Empire to the Russian Empire. However, supporters of the independence
of Armenia and Karabakh spoke very critically about that position.
There is also a view in Yerevan that the matter in Crimea will not
go as far as the referendum. Commentators of the Lragir newspaper
think that most likely the parties will agree on a broad autonomy of
Crimea within Ukraine, but with the right to conclude agreements. In
particular, Russia is interested in the agreement on the extension of
the deployment of its Black Sea fleet in the Crimean ports. At the
same time, the United States is seeking to introduce its warships
into the Black Sea. The Armenian newspaper believes that Washington
and Moscow may "negotiate" an agreement based on that.
http://armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/52548/armenia_crimea_precedent_karabakh_analysis
ANALYSIS | 10.03.14 | 10:30
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
Many experts do not agree that the planned referendum in the Crimea
(Ukraine) on its accession to Russia and Moscow's recognition of its
results may become a precedent for other unresolved conflicts.
Editor-in-chief of the Karabakh-based political magazine "Analyticon"
Gegham Baghdasaryan, for example, believes that every crisis is unique
and attempts to measure conflicts by the same stick could prove futile.
"Every country decides its own fate. Every example that, at first
glance, can play a positive role in resolving the Karabakh conflict,
may ultimately prove to have no impact at all. We ourselves must do
everything for strengthening our statehood, we ought to find a place
in the civilized world - that is our task without considering any
precedents," said Baghdasaryan.
At the same time, experts feel pessimistic about the prospects of
Crimea's possible secession from Ukraine becoming a 'precedent'
for Karabakh. They remind that neither the recognition of Kosovo
by dozens of countries nor the cases of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
recognized by Russia, Venezuela and some other countries did become
precedents for Karabakh.
Russian expert Andrei Epifantsev reminds that in international
law there are two mutually exclusive principles - the right to
self-determination and territorial integrity. Their primacy in each
case is based on political rather than legal decisions.
At the same time, David Babayan, a spokesman for the NKR president,
stated that Karabakh has already passed that way and knows what
the process of the realization of the right to self-determination
of peoples is. Speaking about the position of official Stepanakert,
he also said: "The fate of the people is in its own hands. If Crimea
took such a decision, then it means that it meets its interests."
However, while in the case of Karabakh the matter concerns recognition
of independence, then in the Crimean case the objective is to join the
Russian Federation as one of its entities. In this sense, the precedent
of Crimea could be very dangerous for Karabakh. In Armenia opinions
already have been voiced that only Russia can "save" Karabakh. Last
year well-known Armenian publicist Zori Balayan even wrote a letter
to Russian President Vladimir Putin in which he suggested returning to
the 1813 Treaty of Gulistan under which Karabakh went from the Persian
Empire to the Russian Empire. However, supporters of the independence
of Armenia and Karabakh spoke very critically about that position.
There is also a view in Yerevan that the matter in Crimea will not
go as far as the referendum. Commentators of the Lragir newspaper
think that most likely the parties will agree on a broad autonomy of
Crimea within Ukraine, but with the right to conclude agreements. In
particular, Russia is interested in the agreement on the extension of
the deployment of its Black Sea fleet in the Crimean ports. At the
same time, the United States is seeking to introduce its warships
into the Black Sea. The Armenian newspaper believes that Washington
and Moscow may "negotiate" an agreement based on that.