BAKU IS PLAYING WITH FIRE
Friday, 30 January 2015 16:12
Will it receive tough assessments?
The year of 2015 has started with extreme escalation of tensions in the
Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict zone, and both the intensity and extent
of the armed provocations of Azerbaijan have significantly increased.
Today, the firing and sabotage actions, initiated exclusively by the
Azerbaijani party, are taking place almost along the entire line of
contact between the armed forces of the NKR and Azerbaijan. Moreover,
they have already covered the state border of Armenia, and the
“caliber” of violations has also grown – in addition to rifles
and machine guns, grenade launchers and mortars are also used. The
situation threatens to get out of control.
Under the circumstances, both Armenia and Artsakh have repeatedly
drawn the attention of international organizations, first of all the
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen, to the necessity of calling official
Baku to order and strict implementation of the assumed commitments
to resolve the conflict by exclusively peaceful means. It should be
fairly noted that some of the blame for the current situation falls
also on the co-chairs, as both Armenian parties have repeatedly, though
in vain, warned them that the complacent attitude of the mediators
to the extremely dangerous game of Azerbaijan with fire is fraught
with serious and even catastrophic consequences. Moreover, instead
of tough assessments to the provocative actions of the Azerbaijani
authorities, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen limited to general,
and thus pointless, statements, which, as also warned by Yerevan
and Stepanakert, only encourages official Baku for new large-scale
violations of the ceasefire.
It is quite natural that in the situation, when the mediators display
impermissible passivity, when inactive are the international mechanisms
of deterring Azerbaijan, which has actually unleashed mini-wars on
the line of contact, the role of suppressor and chastiser of the
aggressor is assumed by the armed forces of Armenia and the NKR. The
military leaderships of both Armenian Republics have honestly warned
the Azerbaijani authorities about the inevitability of punishment for
their criminal acts that lead to deaths and destabilization of the
situation. And I must say that these warnings were not made in vain
– they were followed by concrete actions, which led to significant
losses by the Azerbaijani party, about which, however, the military
command of Azerbaijan prefers to remain silent.
But, apparently, official Baku, for which the life of its own citizens
is worth nothing, does not intend to take into account the extent
of the losses. Azerbaijan continued the tactics of blackmail and
threats, trying to impose its will on both Armenian parties and on
the international community. But, Baku seems to have crossed the line.
Armenians’ patience was exhausted, prompting the President of Armenia
to make rather harsh statements. On January 26, at a solemn meeting
on the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of the Armenian Army, Serzh
Sargsyan, referring to the provocative actions of Azerbaijan, stated
unequivocally, “Hot shots let expect a lot of surprises. Moreover,
in case of larger and threatening accumulation on the border and
along the line of contact, we reserve the right to preventive strikes”.
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry, in its usual manner, gave birth to its
hysterical statements far from the reality. It’s a pity. The warning
of the Armenian President should be taken more seriously, because it
is made by a man, who experienced a war and who does not waste words.
Unlike the current President of Azerbaijan, who wasted time in the
Turkish casino in the war years, losing daddy’s money, and who does
not know the cost of not only a word, but also the human life. By the
way, independent Azerbaijani political scientists advise to take more
seriously the statement of President Serzh Sargsyan.
But, let’s put aside the predictable reaction of Azerbaijan and let’s
return to the OSCE mediators. Immediately the next day after the noted
speech of Armenia’s President, both the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ivica
Dacic and the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group issued statements,
which, we believe, were also the result of the tough warning of
Azerbaijan by Serzh Sargsyan. Yes, the co-chairs, as usual, called
on all the parties to observe the terms of the cease-fire agreement,
but striking is the fact that this time the mediators have displayed
a differentiated approach by making their appeals to Armenia and
Azerbaijan in different forms: “We called on Azerbaijan to observe
its commitments to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. We also
call on Armenia to take all measures to reduce tensions”. It becomes
clear from these formulations who, in fact, resorts to armed actions,
violating the international principle of non-use of force or threat
of force, on which the settlement process is based. Let’s add that
the document also says that at a meeting with the Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister the mediators, reminding him of their mandate, “expressed
concern about voices critical of the ongoing negotiation process, the
role of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs, and the duties of OSCE monitors”.
Can we say that the ice has broken and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
have finally decided to issue a targeted statement, pointing to the
true culprit of the escalation of tensions? And at the same time to
protect their esprit de corps, pointing to the unacceptability and
groundlessness of Azerbaijan’s condemnation of the co-chairs for the
inefficient negotiations, while the responsibility for the failure of
the settlement process lies entirely on the Baku authorities. Let
us not make hasty conclusions, because we, unfortunately, have
repeatedly been the witnesses of the political situation change
and the inconsistency of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. However,
one thing is indisputable – the time requires the authoritative
international structures to take serious measures for the final
forcing of Azerbaijan to peace.
Leonid MARTIROSSIAN Editor-in-Chief of Azat Artsakh newspaper
http://artsakhtert.com/eng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1685:-baku-is-playing-with-fire&catid=3:all&Itemid=4