ARE WE READY TO THE NEW ROUND OF PEACE PROCESS ON KARABAKH?
By Haroutiun Khachatrian
AZG Armenian Daily
12/07/2007
Problems of Breaking Conversation Barriers between Armenians and Azeris
Taking into consideration the latest information, official
Baku has come decision to make cardinal changes in its policy on
Nagorno-Karabakh. Evidently, Azerbaijani authorities have given up the
principle of "no relations with the Enemy" and started encouraging
contacts between various layers of the Armenian and Azerbaijani
societies. By now meetings between representatives of the two countries
were limited with a small number of people who considered the peace
settlement of the conflict the main task of their life. Such people
were mainly considered renegades in Azerbaijan (mostly opposition
politicians), the meeting took place on the territories of neutral
states, as Baku worked hard to prevent them.
Before speaking of the main topic, it would be appropriate to note
that the June 28-29 visit of the Armenian-Azerbaijani delegation of
intellectuals to Armenia, Karabakh and Azerbaijan was an important
victory of good will. The Armenian side always stood for holding such
kind of meetings, considering them an opportunity of reducing the
tensions. All the foreign forces, including the OSCE and individual
states, have also always supported that idea. That is why the PACE 1416
resolution was adopted on June 25, 2005. In the meanwhile Azerbaijani
officials continually declared that cooperating with their "Enemy"
would be as "beneficial" as the opening of the border between Armenia
and Azerbaijan. Only one event in the recent history of Armenia could
be matched with this. That is Turkey’s blockade of Armenia. Thus,
when in April 1993 Kelbacar (Qaravajar) was taken by the Armenian
armed forces, Turkey announced complete blockade of its border with
Armenia. A year after, without any step backwards on Armenia’s part,
Turkey abolished its restriction on crossing its air space, and air
communication between Armenia and Turkey has been active and rather
intensive ever since.
In fact, we are witnessing a kind of mitigation of blockade on
Azerbaijan’s part, and again it took place without any cessation by
the Armenian side.
Nevertheless, even having this evident victory of good will, we
should perceive it as a matter of little effect on the progress of
the peace process or even on strengthening the regime of armistice
between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This psychological victory will be
of more use for both the sides if we can surmount new challenges
suggested by the so-called victory itself.
Indeed, the new circumstances (if Azerbaijan is not to repent of the
new course it has taken) bring forth new problems for us, Armenians.
The meeting of the delegations of the Armenian and Azerbaijani
intellectuals proved the following: first, Baku has permitted
contacts with Armenia to at least one group of its citizens – the
intellectuals; second, citizens of Azerbaijan were permitted not
only to converse with Armenians, but also visit Stepanakert (the
delegation crossed the border between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan
due to the personal interference of A. Casprszyk). This circumstances
imply de-facto recognition of the state authorities of the Republic
of Nagorno-Karabakh, but still there is no warranty that Azerbaijan
is still to proceed in this way.
Here are the possible further actions of Azerbaijan, as we tried to
figure them out.
Social contacts. Baku may: a) be content with that single meeting,
b) permit new meetings approximately in the same format, c) permit
meetings between other social groups (and even the incredible –
permit contacts between businessmen), d) permit meetings of statesmen
(at present meetings of no officials except Foreign Ministers and
the Presidents are allowed), e) permit contacts between citizens of
the bordering regions.
Meeting Places. Baku can consider appropriate meetings in: a) neutral
foreign states only, b) Yerevan and Baku, c) other places in Armenia
and Azerbaijan, d) the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh also.
In all cases the representatives of Armenia will face a number
of problems. The aim of official Baku has always been, and shall
be, achieving the recognition of Karabakh as an inseparable part
of Azerbaijan. Of course, the new format of dialogue between the
Armenian and Azerbaijani side shall become a new tool of implementing
this policy.
It’s clear that the Armenian participants of the future meetings will
have quite complicated problems no matter which of these variants
is applied. The aim of the official Baku is to apply another tool
to attain its final goal that is to prove that Karabakh belongs
to Azerbaijan both to Azerbaijan itself and to Armenia and the
international community. It’s well known that the Azeri propaganda
machine already actively works in this path and this new situation
will help to touch upon the interests of Azerbaijan at new, open and
more authority instances. The Armenian side should always be ready for
unexpected and frequently groundless statements of Azerbaijan. Thus,
they can make groundless statements in most inconvenient situations,
for instance in cases of meetings of doctors, sportsmen, etc.
Our relevant experts should give concrete answers to concrete
questions. Till now they have ignored the nonsense that the Azeries
spread about the historical past of Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia. But
at present such approaches should not be applied any longer, as the
abovementioned groundless statements are being constantly made during
joint meetings, including those in Yerevan. Our experts should give
equivalent and grounded answers to them.
Moreover, one should always remember that the Azeri side is first
of all touching upon the issue of Nagorno Karabakh during these
meetings. In this case, the Armenian side should increase the
mutual trust and lessen the tension by means of these very bilateral
meetings. We should never answer the statements of the Azeries as
hysterically as they make them. The Armenian side should respond their
accusations calmly, patiently, suggesting cooperation and dialogue
in many other issues instead of extremist statements. We’d better
shape a special body (for instance at RA Foreign Ministry) that would
elaborate relevant strategy and instructions for the participants of
various meetings.
As for the probable meetings, the information that we have at present
allow to expect that from the aspect of both people and places of
the meeting, we will have the versions of the abovementioned "B"
point, i.e.
similar meetings in Yerevan and Baku. The sides may discuss the issues
concerning the historical monuments, ecology and healthcare. It’s
seems to me that we will hardly have any new meetings in Artsakh, as
this will mean that the Azeri authorities have certain relations with
Artsakh and recognize its independence de facto. But if such meetings
take place, this will mean that the Nagorno Karabakh authorities will
need more assistance, as their human resources are more limited than
those of Armenia.