Azeri pundit says no talks after Armenian leader’s annexation remarks
Ayna, Baku
1 Mar 05
Excerpt from X. Safaroglu report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ayna on 1
March headlined “Deadlocked ‘Prague principles'” and subheaded “The
fact that the basis of negotiations has not been formed has made
solution models ineffective”
The Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers, Elmar Mammadyarov and
Vardan Oskanyan, were expected to meet in Prague on 2 March for their
sixth meeting within the framework of the “Prague process” [postponed
till 4 March].
The ministers will to discuss a solution to the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict. The two will also discuss the OSCE report on the monitoring
of cases of Armenians settling illegally in the occupied [Azerbaijani]
territories.
Mammadyarov and Oskanyan last met in Prague on 11 January [this year].
Meanwhile, the Armenian president has elaborated on his vision of how
to solve the conflict.
“Nagornyy Karabakh will either be independent or part of Armenia in
the foreseeable future,” Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said in
an interview with Golos Armenii newspaper.
He said that the negotiations process has become active and there is a
slight hope for breakthrough. Kocharyan also said that some views on
Nagornyy Karabakh’s participation in the negotiations need to be
corrected.
[Passage omitted: reported details, importance of healthy approach to
negotiations]
The president of the so-called “Nagornyy Karabakh Republic”, Artur
Gukasyan, said that there is no alternative to a peaceable solution to
the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.
“Life has proven that the problem cannot be solved through war. The
problem remains although we have won the war,” Gukasyan said. The
parties are not yet ready for solving the problem, he said.
“It is necessary to make a clever compromise,” the head of the
separatist regime said, adding that propaganda should be intensified.
“We understand that the Azerbaijanis are our neighbours. Our main aim
is to have peace. We have to do whatever we can to prevent war
here. It would be possible to ensure the development of the region
after all the conflicting issues are resolved.”
He also noted that it does not matter how positive meetings between
the presidents and the foreign ministers of the two countries are,
they cannot replace the OSCE Minsk Group in the resolution of the
conflict.
Azerbaijani political analysts have convergent views on this.
The former foreign minister, Tofiq Zulfuqarov, said that Kocharyan’s
statement is a repetition of his old position.
“The negotiations are actually suspended following that
statement. It’s no use holding negotiations under the
circumstances. This is not a peace process. The Armenians are hoping
that someone from Azerbaijan may sign a defeatist deal.”
Such a statement in the run-up to the Prague meeting illustrates that
the Armenians stick to their old position and are not interested in
any breakthrough in the talks:
“Such statements show that no talks are possible. By holding the
negotiations, they are just killing time.”
Commenting on Gukasyan’s statement that “the conflict should be
resolved not through the meetings of the presidents, but within the
framework of the Minsk Group”, the former minister said that it is
important to define a principle here.
International organizations have said that the conflict can [only] be
solved by the two countries, Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The meetings between the presidents and the foreign ministers aim to
reach a high-level agreement on some principles, Zulfuqarov said.
“It is impossible to reach agreement on the principles after
Kocharyan’s statement. What is the basis for talks in the Minsk Group
format if there is no agreed basis for the resolution of the
conflict?”
It’s no use conducting negotiations with the principle “Karabakh
should be part of Armenia”, he noted.
Zulfuqarov believes that the proposals of the Minsk Group for
resolving the conflict do not have any basis. Saying that “these 10
years continue to pass in the same way as it has elapsed so far”, the
political analyst said that for the talks to be successful, the
negotiating parties should show desire to achieve peace.
“Armenia does not want to come to agreement and is setting forth such
demands in advance which the other party cannot accept them. So, the
negotiations will not yield any results.”
Zulfuqarov said that Armenia’s policy contributes to increased tension
in the region. “By frequently violating the cease-fire, Yerevan is
aiming to force Baku to respond. They are sort of dragging Azerbaijan
into sabotage.”