GERMAN EXPERT: NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT NOT FROZEN
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Nov 27 201
27 November 2013, 12:03 (GMT+04:00)
By Sara Rajabova
While the officials of some countries refer to the Azerbaijani-Armenian
Nagorno-Karabakh as a frozen conflict, others argue that it is wrong
to consider the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as frozen.
German political scientist and expert on the post-Soviet area Heiko
Langner has said that the conflict cannot be considered frozen,
as many people think.
In his interview with Vestnik Kavkaza news agency, Langner said people
are being killed on the frontline and clashes are taking place and
it is therefore wrong to consider this conflict frozen in this context.
“On the other hand, I don’t see any opportunities for the settlement
of the conflict in the near future. If we look at the OSCE Minsk Group
which is responsible for talks on the settlement of the conflict,
we will see that the only mediator which has real power in the South
Caucasus is Russia,” Langner said.
He said neither France nor the U.S. can compete with Russia. “And
only under the mediation of Russia can the conflict between Armenia
and Azerbaijan be settled. The key to the Karabakh conflict lies in
Moscow,” he said.
He said that only cooperation between Yerevan, Baku, and Moscow can
lead to resolving the situation.
Langner also said that Armenia can continue its policy of
illegal occupation of Azerbaijani territories, but it pays a high
price-economic underdevelopment, massive poverty, poor social
conditions for its population, massive migration, and serious
demographic problems.
“International diplomacy should try to move Armenia away from its
isolated position in the region; but it requires that Armenia change
its current foreign policy and be ready to move forward in the process
of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” he said.
According to Langner, Yerevan should refuse maximalist demands to
reach a compromise with Azerbaijan.
He said that then Azerbaijan and Turkey will stop the economic
isolation, and Armenia would benefit from it.
Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing
of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were
killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale
hostilities. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20
percent of Azerbaijan’s territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and
seven surrounding regions.
Turkey broke off diplomatic relation and closed borders with Armenia
because of the country’s aggressive policy.
Armenia continues the occupation of Azerbaijani territories in defiance
of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and
unconditional withdrawal.
Peace talks brokered by mediators from Russia, France and the U.S.
have produced no results so far.
From: Baghdasarian