AZERBAIJAN’S STRATEGY OF "SMALL VICTORIES"
Vardan Grigoryan
Hayots Ashkhar Daily
March 19, 2008
Recording the fact that, it is difficult to estimate the resolution
submitted by Azerbaijan to the UN General Assembly can’t be estimated
as a serious political victory over Armenia, we shouldn’t forget
anyhow that the before mentioned fact is a tangible achievement for
official Baku in the propaganda war between the two countries.
Even if the resolution " The Situation in the Occupied Territories
of Azerbaijan" is of consultative nature, the fact that the General
Assembly has passed a resolution that entirely expresses Azerbaijan’s
standpoints regarding Karabakh conflict and has considered us
"occupants", demonstrates the success of Azerbaijani side in the
propaganda war.
In our view the propaganda "pressing" that is used by Azerbaijan
for many years on OCSE Minsk group member countries playing the role
of a mediator in the negotiation process is much more dangerous. It
includes all the possible versions of influence and blackmail, which
are used every day and every moment in conditions of the passive and
even evidently infantile stance of Armenian diplomacy. During the
past years, when our diplomacy was trying to act in accordance with
the proposals made by OSCE Minsk group co-Chairs, it turned out that
they were demanding the same thing from Azerbaijan and this demand
has become ineffective because "The wolf can change his coat but not
his disposition".
While we speak about being constructive, Azerbaijan either
destructively criticizes the co-Chairs, or threatens Armenia with
a war, or blackmails the international community with oil-gas,
or puts into action the potential of GUAM, Islamic conference and
other organizations, or comes out with a joint announcement of its
political powers against the proposals made by the co-Chairs.
Eventually, slowly but consistently they create the wrong image among
the international community that Armenian side that has won the war
is interested in the peaceful and civilized settlement of Karabakh
conflict, because we are vigilant of the new military clash with
Azerbaijan, which is "becoming more and more powerful". From here
they draw a conclusion that some issues that have become a subject
of the negotiations must have a pro-Azerbaijani solution.
Azerbaijan is consistently applying the strategy of "small victories":
occupies a position and immediately tries to possess the next one. That
is why immediately after the adoption of March 14 resolution Baku
openly blackmails Minsk group co-Chairs, intimidating to refuse
their service. In return to his "generosity" Azerbaijan demands
that the point of the settlement principles submitted in Madrid,
which recognizes the sovereignty of NKR people is changed.
Each Ministry of Azerbaijan has already submitted an application to
different international organizations regarding this false issue,
and the "issues of fires" have been transferred to the tribune of the
General Assembly, in case when, from our side the barbarous destruction
of the cross-stones in Hin Jugha is marching on the same spot.
It turns out that Armenian side responds only in case Azerbaijan
brings surprises and while they manage to block the initiative of
the rival, Azerbaijan submits two instead of one. It is evident that
in such circumstances, we can’t expect that the fact recorded in the
General Assembly on March 14 won’t be repeated.
The passiveness of our diplomacy manifested during the previous years,
and because of the absence of Armenian state structures to conduct a
consistent propaganda overseas, Armenian people who have celebrated
the 20th anniversary of Karabakh movement and two Armenian states
are facing tough challenges, because the continuous failings in the
sphere of propaganda intimidate to turn into serious failures in the
foreign policy.