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NOTHING NEW IN JAMES B. WARLICK'S PRESENTATION
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
May 16 2014
16 May 2014 - 10:07am
Orkhan Sattarov, the head of the European Bureau of Vestnik Kavkaza
A discussion about suggestions for a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict recently presented by the American co-chair James B. Worlick
will take place on May 16th at the visit of co-chairs of the OSCE
Minsk Group to Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Armenian side criticized
Worlick's suggestions, as they require withdrawal of troops from
the occupied territories around Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku reacted more
positively. According to the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Elmar
Mamedyarov, the six principles suggested by Worlick are not new and
have been voiced previously. At the same time, the minister noted
that the Azerbaijani side agreed to work on a peacemaking treaty
for settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "The status quo is
unacceptable even for the Armenians. The country doesn't develop;
there are serious demographic problems. We call on the Armenian side
to settle the problem together," he said.
Mathias Dornfeld, associative member of the Center for Studying Energy
and Environment of the Caspian Region under the Free University of
Berlin, commented on Worlick's suggestions for Vestnik Kavkaza: "I
have read Worlick's speech attentively and concluded that it contains
nothing new." According to the political scientist, the statement by
the American co-chair should be considered in the context of the 20th
anniversary of the Bishkek Protocol on the cease-fire regime between
Armenia and Azeraijan.
"Worlick's suggestions are a reference to the Madrid Principles
and other requirements of the OSCE Minsk Group. As Worlick is a new
co-chair of the Minsk Group, he is trying to gain a foothold in a
new quality," the expert noted.
We should emphasize that recently James B. Worlick was heavily
criticized by top Azerbaijani officials, including the special
envoy of Azerbaijani President for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
Araz Azimov, for his sharp statements on Twitter, which annoyed
Baku. From this point of view, the German expert is right that he is
trying to gain a foothold. It seems that when the Baku authorities
actually cast aspersions on the "professionalism" of the American,
Washington decided to rehabilitate the diplomat, voicing well-known
principles in a new form on behalf of Worlick.
Dornfeld points out that Worlick didn't mention other regional
conflicts in his speech and didn't touch on the crisis over Ukraine and
Crimea in general, even though American diplomats use every opportunity
to discuss the topic. According to the political scientist, it shows
that Washington is deploying double standards.
"Moreover, it is clear that after the Crimean crisis and the silent
approval of Crimea's merger into the Russian Federation by the West,
a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not a priority,"
Dornfeld concluded.
He thinks that the OSCE MG's influence on the settlement of the
conflict is insignificant, and there will be no reform of the structure
in the near future. Thus, Mathias Dornfeld, as well as Heiko Langner,
see nothing new in Washington's statement.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/politics/55269.html
From: Baghdasarian
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
May 16 2014
16 May 2014 - 10:07am
Orkhan Sattarov, the head of the European Bureau of Vestnik Kavkaza
A discussion about suggestions for a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict recently presented by the American co-chair James B. Worlick
will take place on May 16th at the visit of co-chairs of the OSCE
Minsk Group to Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Armenian side criticized
Worlick's suggestions, as they require withdrawal of troops from
the occupied territories around Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku reacted more
positively. According to the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Elmar
Mamedyarov, the six principles suggested by Worlick are not new and
have been voiced previously. At the same time, the minister noted
that the Azerbaijani side agreed to work on a peacemaking treaty
for settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "The status quo is
unacceptable even for the Armenians. The country doesn't develop;
there are serious demographic problems. We call on the Armenian side
to settle the problem together," he said.
Mathias Dornfeld, associative member of the Center for Studying Energy
and Environment of the Caspian Region under the Free University of
Berlin, commented on Worlick's suggestions for Vestnik Kavkaza: "I
have read Worlick's speech attentively and concluded that it contains
nothing new." According to the political scientist, the statement by
the American co-chair should be considered in the context of the 20th
anniversary of the Bishkek Protocol on the cease-fire regime between
Armenia and Azeraijan.
"Worlick's suggestions are a reference to the Madrid Principles
and other requirements of the OSCE Minsk Group. As Worlick is a new
co-chair of the Minsk Group, he is trying to gain a foothold in a
new quality," the expert noted.
We should emphasize that recently James B. Worlick was heavily
criticized by top Azerbaijani officials, including the special
envoy of Azerbaijani President for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
Araz Azimov, for his sharp statements on Twitter, which annoyed
Baku. From this point of view, the German expert is right that he is
trying to gain a foothold. It seems that when the Baku authorities
actually cast aspersions on the "professionalism" of the American,
Washington decided to rehabilitate the diplomat, voicing well-known
principles in a new form on behalf of Worlick.
Dornfeld points out that Worlick didn't mention other regional
conflicts in his speech and didn't touch on the crisis over Ukraine and
Crimea in general, even though American diplomats use every opportunity
to discuss the topic. According to the political scientist, it shows
that Washington is deploying double standards.
"Moreover, it is clear that after the Crimean crisis and the silent
approval of Crimea's merger into the Russian Federation by the West,
a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not a priority,"
Dornfeld concluded.
He thinks that the OSCE MG's influence on the settlement of the
conflict is insignificant, and there will be no reform of the structure
in the near future. Thus, Mathias Dornfeld, as well as Heiko Langner,
see nothing new in Washington's statement.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/politics/55269.html
From: Baghdasarian