Armenian journalists strongly reacted to the German former Parliamentarian Viola von Cramon’s stance that the Armenian side, in the face of the president, should hand over the occupied territories to Azerbaijan, thus achieving a mutual consent with the neighboring state, and putting an end to the conflict. The discussion was held in the German capital of Berlin, organized by Taz. Die tageszeitung foundation, during the seminar for the journalists. The Armenian journalists promptly responded about how we can cede the lands, when every time, the Azerbaijani side violates the ceasefire, Armenian soldiers are killed, and Aliyev’s even the New Year messages are full of Armenophobic calls.
Former Bundestag Parliamentarian, who was specialized in Eastern Europe, especially Ukraine and the South Caucasus matters, mentioned that he had never been in Nagorno-Karabakh, so he cannot say much, but, nevertheless, he added, “Of course, Armenia can demonstrate its example of having a good will. I know that the Azerbaijani side has a huge army, I just wonder why Armenia does not give three, four, five occupied regions back to Azerbaijan. It would be a signal. Armenians, of course, ask, who will give us a security guarantee, who will ensure that the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh will afterwards be peaceful and secure.” Viola von Cranon hesitates, maybe all these issues are discussed, and then adds, “I never had the impression that Armenians truly are willing to do it, are willing to show a good and return the occupied territories.”
Afterwards, the former parliamentarian tried to remember one of the Karabakh conflict settlement agreements, which, according to her, could be the best agreement to improve the situation, but the name of the agreement, the “Madrid principles”, was reminded to her by the Armenian journalists. “It’s a very good agreement of mutual consent, when you see what one side can do and what the other side can do,” she says, noting that the President of Armenia should have agreed with this agreement, and even if the Armenian public would not accept it, he was to explain its importance. “He should have said, yes, we must go a step back, but Mr. Aliyev should do this which he didn’t…There is no display of a good will from anywhere. I understand why you are doing this, but the Armenian side has never tried a single time to come to a mutual consent.” The former parliamentarian would long try to find her “not recalled”, but in her opinion the best agreement for the conflict, the “Madrid principles”, and then would also have difficulty to recall the name of the conflict regulating institution, the Minsk Group, but the Armenian journalists present at the meeting reminded her about Aliyev’s bellicose statements, and the recent months’ events on the border. The discussion would probably last long, if not intervened by the attending journalist from Azerbaijan with her question related to the pressure of civil action by the country’s leadership.
The former European parliamentarian had one concern in with regard, “People are really under pressure, and the only problem is that you have gas and oil. And for this very reason, Europe always wants to keep strong ties with Azerbaijan. This is a pain, this is a disease, it is hard to see how the civil society is so suppressed in Azerbaijan, people are beaten, the police cannot protect them, and many people appear behind the bars.”
Read also
HRIPSIME HOVHANNISYAN
