Manvel Sargsyan opines that Azerbaijan will no way concede.
During the meeting with his Russian counterpart, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has said that the completion of the lasting talks on the settlement of Iran’s nuclear problem inspires hope that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can also be resolved. “For a quick progress, the settlement is stopped on the railways,” he said ahead to the upcoming meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia. The OSCE co-chairs meetings with the presidents of the two countries on the expected days again activate the discussions on the negotiation process on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement. “Aravot” talked to the analyst, also Director of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS), Manvel Sargsyan about the expected and ongoing discussions.
Addressing the events going on in Iran and its connection with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, he says, “The change of Iran’s role will have a great impact on the regional issues. It is not in vain that Armenia may have an opportunity for a new relationship too. Iran is a very serious state in international relations. Now, of course, it’s hard to say which of them will have an X benefit or what relations will be shaped. It is difficult to see a direct connection with the Karabakh problem, but Iran is a state with a great influence, and its stance may have a key significance in any matter.”
Speaking about the upcoming meeting of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Mr. Sargsyan noted that he does not have great expectations from the negotiation process, and believes that this time too, as always, nothing essential will happen and no strategic plans will be developed. The analyst says that many people are only interested in the balance of the two countries’ forces. “Warlick also talked about it. In fact, to avoid the resumption of the war and tension in every possible way: this is much talked about, and this is the main problem that everyone is concerned about,” said Mr. Sargsyan.
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He considers it strange that everyone is concerned about James Warlick’s statement about the “return of occupied territories” to Azerbaijan, which mirrors the principles adopted in Madrid still in 2007. He says it is not new and it is a “concession model”, no attempt was made to introduce other formats in the negotiation process. Manvel Sargsyan pointed out that, however, this option will no way be accepted by Azerbaijan. “Here, we need to understand that everything depends on Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan does not recognize any other option than giving everything to him. The world should fully implement Azerbaijan’s condition. It will never go for any concessions, will not sign a document, will no way recognize any right, both the right of Armenians and Karabakh people. We have seen it. They follow what Heydar Aliyev says. Karabakh is lost, keep the right to you. This is their diplomacy and politics: to keep the right in their hands. They do not give this right to anyone, – says Mr. Sargsyan, adding – To think that Azerbaijan will go to a solution through negotiation sounds naïve. They have and will continue doing so, because they have lost and hold the right of the lost with them. They are waiting for a convenient moment: they keep an army and equip it to go and occupy and the world will be silent. This is Azerbaijan’s simple and clear stance, which they do not even try to hide.”
The analyst opines that give this politics of Azerbaijan, we need to understand which should be the politics of Armenia. “There is no problem of territories. This is what Armenia speaks. There is no such problem for Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is interested that the territories that are called occupied, together with Karabakh, and everything is quietly given to it, and to compel Armenia worldwide to do so. Therefore, it makes no sense to talk about other territories, Azerbaijan puts the issue on an entirely different plane. Of course, the international community has not recognized this right of Baku, the Madrid principles were offered, they have said that there is a Nagorno-Karabakh, there are territorial problems, let us sit down and talk about it, but Azerbaijan is reluctant,” says Manvel Sargsyan.
“Aravot” daily
