WILL NKR REFUSE THE URGES TO RETURN TO THE TABLE OF NEGOTIATION?
Former Foreign Minister of NKR, Arman Melikyan, believes that in the
coming months we will still continue to be helpless and vulnerable as
a society. – In late 2013, during the visit to the region, the Minsk
Group co-chairs stated that Nagorno-Karabakh’s return to the table
of negotiation does not have an alternative. So far, all statements
about it were more cautious or with reservations. Do you believe
that the Karabakh conflict will enter into another active phase in
2014? – For years, it is said about inevitable prospect of returning
Nagorno-Karabakh to the table of negotiation, however, we have to be
realistic and understand that this return does nowise mean that the
conflict settlement process is no more problematic. It is ruled out
that a situation could be created when the only decent way out for
Artsakh would be the refusal of the common claim by intermediaries,
Armenia, and Azerbaijan, to return to the table of negotiation. –
The issue of Nagorno-Karabakh was actively discussed under Armenia’s
CU accession, in particular, with regard to building a customs
station. The former Russian Ambassador to Armenia Vyacheslav Kovalenko
made quite a remarkable statement. In response to the question of
what Nagorno-Karabakh’s status will be if Armenia joins the Customs
Union, whether it will also join the Union, or a checkpoint will
be built between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, the Ambassador said
that it depends on Armenia. “The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not an
easy task because of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia faces a
problem, if Armenia recognizes NKR, then the NK membership issue will
be discussed, if not, Karabakh’s membership to the Customs Union will
be a provocative step by us towards the Azerbaijani side. Russia,
here, has a radical position, which it follows in the process of
years to maintain peace in the region”. To the observation whether
we can conclude that in every case a checkpoint will be built at the
borders between the two countries, Vyacheslav Kovalenko expressed
his conviction that if the parties conduct a skillful discussion
of the issue, they will come to a decision. How to perceive this
position? Won’t the Nagorno-Karabakh recognition result in adventurism
by Armenia? – Let’s start that it is still unclear when and under
what conditions Armenia will become a full member of the CU. However,
it should not be ruled out that Armenia would be imposed to build
checkpoints on the border with Artsakh; it will depend on possible
changes in the Russian-Azerbaijani relations. Even when building
checkpoints, I do not think that these checkpoints will operate in
full. At the same time, their existence for Artsakh authorities will
provide a fundamental reason to operate appropriate customs stations
at the checkpoints on the border with Iran, as well. Russia’s regional
and strategic interests demand Armenia to become a member of the CU,
and the Western Community, in its turn, did everything for Russia’s
desire to come true and to present it at least as a voluntary decision
adopted by the authorities of Armenia, which is based on, among other
factors, the worldview identity of Armenian and Russian elites. I say
this to avoid of having the illusion that there was another option,
but was not used due to intrigues of “internal enemy”. Now about
what was said by Kovalenko. Two or three times a year, “Heritage”
is trying to make a law out of his advice at the National Assembly
level, however, I think we need Armenia’s recognition process of
Karabakh, if we want to have a diplomatic and political solution to
the matter. In other words, with launching this process, we, in fact,
will form a formal bilateral format operating parallel to the talks
proceeding in the framework of the Minsk Group that will enable to
transform new sound and required weight to the Artsakh political,
humanitarian, economic, and territorial requirements. – In your
opinion, what challenges are expected to Armenia and NGR in this
regional complex tangle? Do we still have the resources to confront
the challenges, in general? – The challenges are serious and they will
be mostly related to external factors. The level of conflicting will
grow in our region, and under Armenia’s internal weakness, this is
a problematic process. The resource for confronting is available,
and it’s not small, but it will be displayed only if different
parts of our community, who, today, are hostile to each other, will
find a path to regain mutual trust. Actually, it is business of the
political elite, the authorities; however, presently, I do not see
even the minimum ability and desire of the authorities to solve the
problem. This means that for at least the next few months we, as a
society, will be helpless and vulnerable. Nelly GRIGORYAN
Read more at:
http://en.aravot.am/2014/01/13/163302/