WILL KARABAKH-AZERBAJANI BORDER BE DEMINED
KarabakhOpen
04-09-2007 11:29:35
The PACE monitoring group cancelled the visit to Azerbaijan and
Karabakh to observe the state of historical monuments. The visit was
cancelled for a very interesting reason: Azerbaijan insisted that the
delegation went to Karabakh via the Karabakh-Azerbaijani border. The
Armenian side rejected this option. Since 1989 Azerbaijan has blocked
the border with Karabakh.
Roads and communications were closed, and after the cruel war, which
formed the current line of contact, the whole length of the border
is mined.
Karabakh is connected to the world via Armenia through the highway
Goris-Stepanakert built in 1996. No air and railroad communication. No
sea.
Karabakh and Azerbaijan have had no communication and relation for
18 years.
In addition, the "initiative" of setting no relations belongs
to Azerbaijan, where people who come in touch with Armenians are
condemned by the government. The football match between Armenia and
Azerbaijan was also cancelled due to the stance of Azerbaijan. Let
alone intergovernmental relations and cooperation within international
organizations.
In this context, Azerbaijan insists that Karabakh demines the border
to let in the international observers. For Azerbaijan, it does not
matter what the international experts will witness in Karabakh. It
is important to assert that Karabakh is an "indivisible" part of
Azerbaijan.
It should be noted that two attempts to demine the border have
been made over the past 18 years. For the first time the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs crossed the border in 1997. The second was during
the recent visit of the delegation of the Azerbaijani intelligentsia
to Karabakh led by the Armenian ambassador to Russia Polad Byul-Byul
oghli. In addition, the second visit was accepted with such warmth
and understanding in Azerbaijan, even among the opposition that the
Armenian side thought if it was not a mistake to demine the border.
Apparently, Baku has adopted a new tactics regarding Karabakh – to
set up relations but in a way to make it appear as if the "center"
is trying to reach agreement with its insurgent province. The crown
of this tactics is the return of the "prodigal son" to the "loving
father". Besides, another component of this policy is the rumors
in Azerbaijan on the visit of a Karabakh delegation to Baku and
another visit of Azerbaijanis, including refugees from Karabakh,
to Stepanakert.
The Azerbaijani member of parliament Khodjali Elman Mammedov,
the former prime minister, thinks the meetings of the members
of Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Nagorno-Karabakh are
pointless. He said this in an interview with the correspondent of
the Caucasian Knot. According to him, such meetings will not lead to
the resolution of the conflict. "For 15 years the foreign ministers
and presidents have been negotiating to resolve the problem of
Nagorno-Karabakh. Despite the mediation of the leading countries of the
world, there has been no breakthrough," thinks Elman Mammedov. "Such
visits humiliate Azerbaijan. Instead of visiting the occupied
territories Azerbaijan must liberate them through military force.
Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the military force and develop
the economy."
In the meantime, the Azerbaijani foreign minister Elmar Mammedyarov
said with regard to the visit of the Azerbaijani community to
Nagorno-Karabakh: "If this visit takes place, it will be very helpful
to the peace process." "However, now it is early to consider another
visit to Nagorno-Karabakh," the minister said. According to him,
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs approves the mutual visits of the
Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of Nagorno-Karabakh.
As to Karabakh, they were rather reserved regarding the visit of
the Azerbaijani delegation, maybe because they had arrived almost
incognito.
Karabakh learned about the visit when the delegation was already
in Stepanakert. Nobody threw tomatoes and eggs at the Azerbaijanis,
but there was no excitement either. In addition, it became clear from
the faces of the officials and others that there might be no second
visit. Not because the visit of the Azerbaijanis is a problem but
because the political component is highly important for Karabakh. If
it is so important to Azerbaijan to emphasize that Karabakh is an
"indivisible part", for Karabakh it is as important to assert that
it has had no relation to Azerbaijan for a long time. Apparently,
it explains the stiff stance of the Armenian side regarding his
issue. And people support this stance.