The speculation of the opening of Stepanakert Airport which lasted for 1.5 years is finally over. Baku promised OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs not to shoot down Armenian civilian aircrafts. Summing up the regional visit, the co-chairs particularly said: “Regarding reports of the planned opening of an airport in Nagorno-Karabakh, the co-chairs received renewed assurances from the sides that they will reject any threat or use of force against civil aircraft, pursue the matter through diplomatic steps, and refrain from politicizing the issue. The co-chairs reaffirmed that operation of this airport cannot be used to support any claim of a change in the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, and urged the sides to act in accordance with international law and consistent with current practice for flights over their territory.” This text ideally fits for perishing the long-lasting “painstaking efforts” of Azerbaijan, and especially the whole Staff of the President of the republic towards restraining its own people, frightening the societies of Armenia and Artsakh, and giving an ultimatum to the international community.
The first part of the report which urges to pursue the matter through diplomatic steps is quite obvious: the co-chairs act with diplomatic cautiousness and tact so as to avoid “irritating” the concrete side while dealing with the existing crisis. It’s more than clear that the only side who bares his teeth when hears the word “airport” is Azerbaijan, and again the only side who politicizes the issues singing the “everlasting song” about the occupation of its territories and hindering the constructive and peaceful settlement of the problem is once more our indispensable and irreplaceable neighbor Azerbaijan.
In the next part of the report where the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs declare that the operation of this airport cannot be used to support any claim of a change in the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, I see nothing abnormal. Of course it can’t and won’t be used in such matters. Just the way the continual and frequent statements of the co-chairs that sooner or later, the direct participation of Nagorno-Karabakh in the negotiations will be inevitable, as well as all the visits to Artsakh and meetings with the government officials of the republic can’t be used to change or influence the changing of Nagorno-Karabakh status, the announcements by the ambassadors, that they have meetings in Stepanakert and listen to the position and suggestions of the people of Artsakh portraying the details of the negotiation process again, in no case, can be used to support any claim of a change in the status of the so far officially unrecognized republic. So according to the co-chairs, despite any development in the region, nothing can influence their “planned” prospective of the conflict’s settlement, which is as follows: “We reaffirm our countries’ resolute commitment to a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.” This is all that they have to say and actually, I like this “path”. Let’s hope that Baku is also committed to solve the conflict according to the above-mentioned “planned” path. Finally the last and the most important part of the report: “to act in accordance with international law and consistent with current practice for flights over their territory.” Let’s consider that NKR took the urge for granted and in Azerbaijan Mr. Aliyev “allows” flights over “his territory” as a gesture of “good will and humanitarianism.”
Thereby, the protracted concern about the airport can be considered over. The parties are satisfied and happy. Nevertheless, it is necessary to mention a very appropriate quote from the Bible: “Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise: and he that shuts his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.” One must never gabble and do it officially and for a long time, mainly if he is going to comply with the reality in the end. We can call this phenomenon as the agreement reached between the parties, the result of the efforts made by the OSCE Minsk Group, etc. But one thing is clear that Baku was warned that his hysteric rhetoric about the use of force against civilian aircrafts is not and cannot in any case be endorsed by the international community. Concluding our modest and superficial analysis the crux of the whole report can be formulated in a following way: Azerbaijani army won’t destroy our airplanes: Azerbaijan is diplomatically annihilated.
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Erik Yeritsyan
