And considers the calmness of the RA ruling elite normal
The OSCE Minsk Group US Co-Chair James Warlick visiting Moscow for two days, recently, gave an extensive interview to Russian daily “Vedomosti”, in which his thoughts expressed have become a subject for concern in RA and NKR. Warlick has stated that the Minsk Group Co-Chairs are planning to visit Nagorno-Karabakh again in late July. The very opinion voiced by the American co-chair about official Washington’s posture on the status of liberated regions has become a subject of concern among the political circles of Armenia and Karabakh. In particular, he has said, “the occupied territories must be returned to Azerbaijani control as a part of a comprehensive settlement. It’s important not to focus on the one element or a principle of this settlement. The territories should be returned, but there are other factors. That’s why, we always talk about a comprehensive settlement.”
Regarding the settlement mechanisms, the US co-chair has the following stance: “If or when the territories are returned, it will be necessary to deploy peacekeeping forces to ensure the security of Nagorno-Karabakh.” Though these statements have caused a great discontent among the ruling political circles of Karabakh, the RA authorities are looking at the issue more calmly. RPA spokesman, also RA NA Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov hurried to calm down and express his position regarding the statements of the US co-chair. “James Warlick’s interpretation should not be taken out of the context. Moreover, I have a completely different impression from this statement; Warlick literally said that the parties should also reach an agreement. But today we see that Azerbaijan rejects two of at least three principles and speaks of only the territorial integrity”.
According to Sharmazanov, there should not be and it is not allowed to single out an element and negotiate around it as the process should be in a package. Then, the RPA Speaker reminded that the RA government authorities have repeatedly stated that they see the solution of the problem exclusively based on negotiations, within these three elements.
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“Aravot” was curious to learn from the NKR President’s spokesman, Davit Babayan, whether it is not strange that the prominent representative of the RA ruling elite does not criticize Warlick’s statement. He replied, “Perhaps, Mr. Sharmazanov wanted to say that any issue can be discussed and come to a common denominator. If the negotiation process is restored to its full format, Artsakh is ready to discuss any issue, including the borders, but keeping one thing in mind that there is no higher court, including on the status of the borders. Artsakh can never be a part of Azerbaijan, it cannot have borders, under which it is not viable as an independent state. The borders of Artsakh Republic were as such since 1991, hence, Azerbaijan wants to organize a massacre and arrange the issue militarily. This is not a matter of ambitions, but merely a matter of public security. How do you imagine an Azerbaijani standing in Berdzor and keeping Karvatchar under his control, where our water supplies begin: Arpa and Vorotan, to poison the lake Sevan? We just want to have a normal life for our children, a security. Azerbaijan must realize this too. We have had the same boundaries, but Azerbaijan has poisoned our waters and slayed us. Instead of us to think about the elimination of the causes of the conflict, Azerbaijan is trying to start from the consequences.”
Regarding the reaction of the RA political circles, Mr. Babayan said, “Generally, the issue of the borders is between Karabakh and Azerbaijan. Armenia has to conduct this negotiation process because the alternative is worse than conducting the talks even in a distorted format. Hence, it should be so as the matters refers to Artsakh and Azerbaijan. Indeed, the entire Armenian nation’s fate depends on the borders of Artsakh and the future.”
To our observation of whether Warlick’s visit on July with this kind of sentiment would not harm the negotiation process, Mr. Babayan said, “We are mature people and the civil society has been developed to the point to perceive it as normal. It is even doubtful that he had made such a statement. Maybe Azerbaijan has disseminated it through its channels. The concept is significant here rather than by whom it is disseminated.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN,
“Aravot” daily
