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Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Jan 24 2015
Baku-Berlin: Karabakh is back in the spotlight
24 January 2015 - 6:22pm
by Orhan Sattar, director of the European Bureau of "Vestnik Kavkaza"
A recent working visit of the President of Azerbaijan to Germany,
after which Ilham Aliyev went to Davos, Switzerland, has left a lot of
information to think about. For obvious reasons, many details of the
negotiations and agreements were reached "behind closed doors".
However, some results of the visit are evident today.
First, the working visit of President Aliyev to Berlin was initiated
by the German Chancellor, and had been prepared in the shortest
possible time. So Germany acted as the party which initiated a meeting
with the Azerbaijani leader. What did the Germans so urgently need
from Baku?
It is known that Germany, like the rest of the EU, is in a violent
confrontation with Russia and attaches great importance to alternative
sources of energy supplies. Angela Merkel said this at the press
conference following the visit of Ilham Aliyev. It is noteworthy that
in her statement, Merkel, speaking about the growing importance of
Azerbaijan as a partner in Europe, did not dissemble and made the
initial focus on the presence of the country's oil and gas reserves,
as well as the "Southern Energy Corridor" project. In this context
Merkel also stressed the possible role of German companies in the
diversification of the Azerbaijani economy.
The second component of the visit, according to Merkel, is the current
geopolitical situation of Azerbaijan and the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. Finally, the third component is the internal political
situation in Azerbaijan, including human rights issues. In particular,
the German Chancellor raised the topic of the functioning in the
country of various German foundations and organizations on a solid
legal basis.
It is quite symbolic that the background to the Berlin visit of Ilham
Aliyev was the sensational statement by the head of "Gazprom", Alexey
Miller, about the planned rejection of the transit of Russian gas to
the European Union through Ukraine. To confirm his words, the head of
"Gazprom" a few days ago set a deadline for stopping the flow of gas
through Ukraine (2019). In the same year, President Aliyev said that
the Trans Adriatic Pipeline project will be launched, through which
gas from the Caspian basin will be delivered to Europe. At the same
time, Russia is planning to build its own "Turkish Stream" instead of
"South Stream", the implementation of which until the last minute was
inhibited by Brussels. It would seem that the energy interests of
Azerbaijan and Russia are intersecting again, but Moscow and Baku,
despite this, have embarked on an active policy of rapprochement.
Obviously, in this regard, the EU, which has not come to its senses
after Vladimir Putin's "Turkish gas combination", had questions for
Ilham Aliyev. The formation of a Moscow-Baku-Ankara energy triangle
cannot buf worry the Europeans, especially taking into account the
close relationship and mutual sympathy between the leaders of all
three countries.
The European Union has joined in with an uncompromising geopolitical
confrontation with Russia, seeking to win the immediate surroundings
of Russia to its side. In the case of Moldova and Georgia, where the
authorities are openly pro-Western forces and where quite a clear
Atlantic foreign policy vector is marked, this problem can be solved
relatively easily. Azerbaijan, which has much greater economic
stability and, as a consequence, real sovereignty, is a hard nut to
crack for the West. Baku is not going to sacrifice its relations with
Moscow in favor of third countries, while the West has turned a blind
eye itself to the occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia.
The questions that German media posed to President Aliyev are quite
revealing (as a rule, questions are agreed with the protocol service
of the Chancellor). A journalist of public television ZDF asked the
president of Azerbaijan how realistic the self-restoration of
territorial integrity of Ukraine seems to him. And why should the
President of Azerbaijan respond to such a question - the president of
the country which doesn't even have a common border with Ukraine? What
is this, if not merely a veiled attempt to provoke a head of state to
anti-Russian statements? However, this number did not work with
graduate of Moscow State University Aliyev. Confirming Azerbaijan's
commitment to the principle of territorial integrity, the President of
Azerbaijan led the conversation in another direction: all conflicts
that result in violations of the territorial integrity of states must
be resolved by a unified approach - this is what Azerbaijan expects
from the West.
After this response, the Western partners apparently weren't
satisfied, and a German journalist seems to have been given the
command "bite" and critical issues related to the human rights
situation in Azerbaijan in the western interpretation fell on the
president. At the same time, the German journalists, unceremoniously
violating the regulations of the press conference (originally it was
negotiated that each of the leaders were to be asked two questions),
asked for two or even three items at a time. This was done with the
tacit consent of the moderator. But let us return to the essence of
the question: Is Germany ready for a common approach to conflicts
involving the violation of the territorial integrity of states?
Obviously not. At least, as long as Karabakh separatists such as "NKR
Parliamentary Speaker" Ashot Gulian quietly enter the territory of
Germany, hold their conference in Berlin with the participation of
German experts, and even meet here with members of the Bundestag. Can
you imagine a similar conference being held in Berlin by the leaders
of the "DPR" and the "LPR"? At best, they would be turned back from
the German border, and at worst, would be handed over to the Kiev
authorities. So the EU doesn't even think of demonstrating a unified
approach to conflicts that violate territorial integrity. The
principle of territorial integrity in different situations is becoming
a priority for the European Union to a greater or lesser extent, only
according to their own interests.
Answering the question of an Azerbaijani journalist about why Germany
does not impose sanctions against Armenia, which has occupied
Azerbaijani territories, and that maybe this is a manifestation of
double standards, Angela Merkel "passed the buck" to Russia.
"Russia plays an important role in this conflict. Armenia and Russia
stick to a common position on this issue, so you can assume that we
have a unified approach," Merkel said.
As Vestnik Kavkaza noted, the Bundeskanzler's answer does not hold any
water, because even before the Ukrainian events (even after the August
war with Georgia) Europeans were very favorable to the Kremlin's role
in the conflict, and didn't skimp, for example, to praise Dmitry
Medvedev during his active mediation mission. But at this stage, when
Russia and the West are in a state of confrontation, the position of
Berlin has changed. Now, according to Merkel, Russia and Azerbaijan
are almost opposing sides of the conflict. What is this, if not
another attempt to pit Baku against Moscow?
Finally, if this is the case, then how will Frau Merkel explain the
annual allocation of financial assistance of tens of millions of
dollars to the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh regime from the United
States's budget, not Russia's? Is it possible to imagine that the US
has provided direct financial assistance to Abkhazia, South Ossetia,
the "DPR" or "LPR"? In the case of the Karabakh separatists, it
happens the other way around, as the West has significant interests in
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and uses it (as well as other centers of
power) as a lever of pressure on both sides of the conflict - Armenia
and Azerbaijan.
Taking a clear position of uncompromising respect for international
law in the conflict, the West at the same time was "eliminated" from
the struggle for political influence in Armenia. And there is no
question that the EU and the United States persist in their attempts
to win Yerevan over to their side. Their barely disguised support for
inciting anti-Russian sentiments after the events in Gyumri is clear
proof of this fact. Besides, we should not forget that the Armenian
nationalists are in great favor in the West, because they played a
significant role in destabilizing the political situation in the USSR
under Mikhail Gorbachev, which ultimately led to the "greatest
geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century."
In such circumstances, under the pretext of Ukrainian sanctions
already introduced against Russia, Germany is trying to justify the
lack of political will to impose sanctions against Armenia - a
sovereign (at least formally) state, whose troops, according to the
Government of Germany (!), are located in Nagorno-Karabakh and the
other surrounding occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
As Angela Merkel noted, Azerbaijan, as a member of the "Eastern
Partnership", does not aspire to EU membership - such a model of
cooperation, according to the Chancellor, was the starting point of
the "Eastern Partnership". Yes, unlike Kiev, Tbilisi and Chisinau,
self-contained Baku is not going to mark time in the waiting room of
the EU. The central problem of the country is the occupation of one
fifth of its territory. And in its relations with Washington,
Brussels, Berlin and Moscow, Azerbaijan gives top priority to a
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in accordance with their
own national interests and on the basis of international law, which in
this case means the same basic principles of settlement. And Baku will
take into account this factor while building energy and political
relations with Germany and the West in general, and with all the other
partners.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/politics/65206.html
From: A. Papazian
Jan 24 2015
Baku-Berlin: Karabakh is back in the spotlight
24 January 2015 - 6:22pm
by Orhan Sattar, director of the European Bureau of "Vestnik Kavkaza"
A recent working visit of the President of Azerbaijan to Germany,
after which Ilham Aliyev went to Davos, Switzerland, has left a lot of
information to think about. For obvious reasons, many details of the
negotiations and agreements were reached "behind closed doors".
However, some results of the visit are evident today.
First, the working visit of President Aliyev to Berlin was initiated
by the German Chancellor, and had been prepared in the shortest
possible time. So Germany acted as the party which initiated a meeting
with the Azerbaijani leader. What did the Germans so urgently need
from Baku?
It is known that Germany, like the rest of the EU, is in a violent
confrontation with Russia and attaches great importance to alternative
sources of energy supplies. Angela Merkel said this at the press
conference following the visit of Ilham Aliyev. It is noteworthy that
in her statement, Merkel, speaking about the growing importance of
Azerbaijan as a partner in Europe, did not dissemble and made the
initial focus on the presence of the country's oil and gas reserves,
as well as the "Southern Energy Corridor" project. In this context
Merkel also stressed the possible role of German companies in the
diversification of the Azerbaijani economy.
The second component of the visit, according to Merkel, is the current
geopolitical situation of Azerbaijan and the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. Finally, the third component is the internal political
situation in Azerbaijan, including human rights issues. In particular,
the German Chancellor raised the topic of the functioning in the
country of various German foundations and organizations on a solid
legal basis.
It is quite symbolic that the background to the Berlin visit of Ilham
Aliyev was the sensational statement by the head of "Gazprom", Alexey
Miller, about the planned rejection of the transit of Russian gas to
the European Union through Ukraine. To confirm his words, the head of
"Gazprom" a few days ago set a deadline for stopping the flow of gas
through Ukraine (2019). In the same year, President Aliyev said that
the Trans Adriatic Pipeline project will be launched, through which
gas from the Caspian basin will be delivered to Europe. At the same
time, Russia is planning to build its own "Turkish Stream" instead of
"South Stream", the implementation of which until the last minute was
inhibited by Brussels. It would seem that the energy interests of
Azerbaijan and Russia are intersecting again, but Moscow and Baku,
despite this, have embarked on an active policy of rapprochement.
Obviously, in this regard, the EU, which has not come to its senses
after Vladimir Putin's "Turkish gas combination", had questions for
Ilham Aliyev. The formation of a Moscow-Baku-Ankara energy triangle
cannot buf worry the Europeans, especially taking into account the
close relationship and mutual sympathy between the leaders of all
three countries.
The European Union has joined in with an uncompromising geopolitical
confrontation with Russia, seeking to win the immediate surroundings
of Russia to its side. In the case of Moldova and Georgia, where the
authorities are openly pro-Western forces and where quite a clear
Atlantic foreign policy vector is marked, this problem can be solved
relatively easily. Azerbaijan, which has much greater economic
stability and, as a consequence, real sovereignty, is a hard nut to
crack for the West. Baku is not going to sacrifice its relations with
Moscow in favor of third countries, while the West has turned a blind
eye itself to the occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia.
The questions that German media posed to President Aliyev are quite
revealing (as a rule, questions are agreed with the protocol service
of the Chancellor). A journalist of public television ZDF asked the
president of Azerbaijan how realistic the self-restoration of
territorial integrity of Ukraine seems to him. And why should the
President of Azerbaijan respond to such a question - the president of
the country which doesn't even have a common border with Ukraine? What
is this, if not merely a veiled attempt to provoke a head of state to
anti-Russian statements? However, this number did not work with
graduate of Moscow State University Aliyev. Confirming Azerbaijan's
commitment to the principle of territorial integrity, the President of
Azerbaijan led the conversation in another direction: all conflicts
that result in violations of the territorial integrity of states must
be resolved by a unified approach - this is what Azerbaijan expects
from the West.
After this response, the Western partners apparently weren't
satisfied, and a German journalist seems to have been given the
command "bite" and critical issues related to the human rights
situation in Azerbaijan in the western interpretation fell on the
president. At the same time, the German journalists, unceremoniously
violating the regulations of the press conference (originally it was
negotiated that each of the leaders were to be asked two questions),
asked for two or even three items at a time. This was done with the
tacit consent of the moderator. But let us return to the essence of
the question: Is Germany ready for a common approach to conflicts
involving the violation of the territorial integrity of states?
Obviously not. At least, as long as Karabakh separatists such as "NKR
Parliamentary Speaker" Ashot Gulian quietly enter the territory of
Germany, hold their conference in Berlin with the participation of
German experts, and even meet here with members of the Bundestag. Can
you imagine a similar conference being held in Berlin by the leaders
of the "DPR" and the "LPR"? At best, they would be turned back from
the German border, and at worst, would be handed over to the Kiev
authorities. So the EU doesn't even think of demonstrating a unified
approach to conflicts that violate territorial integrity. The
principle of territorial integrity in different situations is becoming
a priority for the European Union to a greater or lesser extent, only
according to their own interests.
Answering the question of an Azerbaijani journalist about why Germany
does not impose sanctions against Armenia, which has occupied
Azerbaijani territories, and that maybe this is a manifestation of
double standards, Angela Merkel "passed the buck" to Russia.
"Russia plays an important role in this conflict. Armenia and Russia
stick to a common position on this issue, so you can assume that we
have a unified approach," Merkel said.
As Vestnik Kavkaza noted, the Bundeskanzler's answer does not hold any
water, because even before the Ukrainian events (even after the August
war with Georgia) Europeans were very favorable to the Kremlin's role
in the conflict, and didn't skimp, for example, to praise Dmitry
Medvedev during his active mediation mission. But at this stage, when
Russia and the West are in a state of confrontation, the position of
Berlin has changed. Now, according to Merkel, Russia and Azerbaijan
are almost opposing sides of the conflict. What is this, if not
another attempt to pit Baku against Moscow?
Finally, if this is the case, then how will Frau Merkel explain the
annual allocation of financial assistance of tens of millions of
dollars to the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh regime from the United
States's budget, not Russia's? Is it possible to imagine that the US
has provided direct financial assistance to Abkhazia, South Ossetia,
the "DPR" or "LPR"? In the case of the Karabakh separatists, it
happens the other way around, as the West has significant interests in
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and uses it (as well as other centers of
power) as a lever of pressure on both sides of the conflict - Armenia
and Azerbaijan.
Taking a clear position of uncompromising respect for international
law in the conflict, the West at the same time was "eliminated" from
the struggle for political influence in Armenia. And there is no
question that the EU and the United States persist in their attempts
to win Yerevan over to their side. Their barely disguised support for
inciting anti-Russian sentiments after the events in Gyumri is clear
proof of this fact. Besides, we should not forget that the Armenian
nationalists are in great favor in the West, because they played a
significant role in destabilizing the political situation in the USSR
under Mikhail Gorbachev, which ultimately led to the "greatest
geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century."
In such circumstances, under the pretext of Ukrainian sanctions
already introduced against Russia, Germany is trying to justify the
lack of political will to impose sanctions against Armenia - a
sovereign (at least formally) state, whose troops, according to the
Government of Germany (!), are located in Nagorno-Karabakh and the
other surrounding occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
As Angela Merkel noted, Azerbaijan, as a member of the "Eastern
Partnership", does not aspire to EU membership - such a model of
cooperation, according to the Chancellor, was the starting point of
the "Eastern Partnership". Yes, unlike Kiev, Tbilisi and Chisinau,
self-contained Baku is not going to mark time in the waiting room of
the EU. The central problem of the country is the occupation of one
fifth of its territory. And in its relations with Washington,
Brussels, Berlin and Moscow, Azerbaijan gives top priority to a
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in accordance with their
own national interests and on the basis of international law, which in
this case means the same basic principles of settlement. And Baku will
take into account this factor while building energy and political
relations with Germany and the West in general, and with all the other
partners.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/politics/65206.html
From: A. Papazian