The United States assumes the role of a guarantor of security in Karabakh zone
First Deputy Defense Minister David Tonoyan met with representatives of the US State Department and the Pentagon in Washington. This visit and the issue discussed in the meantime, basically, can be considered a turning point in the Karabakh settlement process if we take into account what proposals official Washington has made to Armenia’s authorities.
David Tonoyan informed the “Voice of America” that the United States is interested in maintaining peace around the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and is ready to support the introduction of appropriate preventive measures. But the mentioned desire is not only an ordinary statement, which we hear over the years by different countries’ representatives.
It turns out that the meetings held in the US defense and foreign political agencies discussed the intensification of the cease-fire maintaining measurements in the Karabakh conflict zone.
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“During the talks, there is a common opinion both in the Pentagon and the State Department that it is necessary to intensify all the measures that can be preventative in terms of leading the situation in the military direction,” said Tonoyan. Among the possible preventive measures, Davit Tonoyan noted granting the international observers the mandate to carry out an investigation of the border incidents, which will allow to prevent the ceasefire violations, punish the perpetrators and perhaps form an atmosphere of trust between the parties. Another mechanism is the installment of controlling and detector systems in the line of contact under the auspices of international observers, which will enable to address each case of the ceasefire violation. “It is very important preventive measure, a very serious one, prior to doing something they will think over to do it or not,” explained the first Deputy Minister of Defense. The offers of the American side to the Armenian side are actually unprecedented. Basically, Washington “has killed two birds with one stone.” Firstly, the implementation of America’s offers will be directed to long-lasting licentious practice by Aliyev’s regime in the line of contact, the preservation of tension and implementation of subversive activities. In addition, with regard to maintaining stability in the contact line, the US actually has offered is support, in fact, taking the responsibility of a controller and a registrar in the Karabakh zone.
In fact, referring to the Armenian-American cooperation in the military sphere and Armenian-Russian close relations, Deputy Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan stressed that there is no contradiction in this matter, and the cooperation with the United States is one of the components of Armenia’s security. “The cooperation with America complements the Armenian-Russian cooperation for the sake of strengthening the security of the Republic of Armenia.”
Apparently, in making such an offer to official Yerevan, Washington has the consent of other co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group: Moscow and Paris, and here, the moment of Russia’s consent is more interesting. If Moscow gave a “go ahead” to the idea of controlling the Karabakh contact line by the US support, then it has also stated that Azerbaijan is the responsible for the creation of tension in the contact line as Washington makes this offer to Armenia.
That is probably the reason why the Russian authorities are in close contact in recent days with the Armenia and Azerbaijan. On July 23, S. Sargsyan and E. Nalbandian received the CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha who has arrived in Armenia on a working visit. Two days later, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Head of the General Intelligence Department, Major-General Igor Sergun. He was received by Armenia’s Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan. According to the press release of the Defense Ministry press service, “During the meeting discussions were held on regional and international military-political issues, the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, as well as bilateral cooperation related matters within the framework of the current geopolitical condition.” On August 1, a meeting was held with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu and Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov, during which they discussed regional security issues, as well as the current state of relations between the two countries and the development perspectives of military cooperation.
To exclude American efforts for the resumption of hostilities in Karabakh contact line, at least in this round, it can be stated that they produce results. Washington has clearly set a task to preserve the stability in the Karabakh area, thus preventing the possible agreement between Russia and Azerbaijan with regard to resulting the lasting tension to military operations. A few days ago, in the interview with “Aravot”, Head of Armenia’s National Security Service (1994-95), leading analyst for the Center of Regional Studies, David Shahnazaryan, in fact, talked about of the new steps of the US, stating that at this round, the US is trying to prevent Russia’s efforts to destabilize South Caucasus, and Russia has no other way but to officially agree to Washington’s terms. “The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement peace process in the OSCE Minsk Group, by the US efforts, has entered a new, a more active phase. With regard to maintaining stability in the South Caucasus, the US managed to get the official consent of Russia to act jointly, suggesting a cooperation on the efforts aimed at establishing peace in the Karabakh platform,” said Shahnazaryan.
The main outcome of D. Tonoyan’s visit is definitely the fact that the US separately assumes the role of the security guarantor in Karabakh zone, which was considered to be Russia’s role. Moscow was used to organize tripartite negotiations in recent years to show that only Russia can influence on Sargsyan and Aliyev, and make them sit down at the negotiating table at any moment. Russia’s influence on the two former Soviet republics is stated by the Western diplomats and experts, it seemed that no doubt was cast on the thesis that the Karabakh conflict is the “field” of Russia’s influence, although the OSCE Minsk Group is dealing with the settlement. However, the tripartite talks held under the auspices of Putin and Medvedev failed not only to produce results, moreover, the situation became more aggravated in the contact line. Russian arms seller and the peace guarantor, however, cannot be the same state simultaneously. Both Moscow and the negotiating parties actually have realized this, and this is the reason that Moscow’s “peace-building efforts” are only of a protocol nature, no one believed its sincerity, there were talks for talks, meetings for meetings. While the Washington’s plans in the Karabakh area are more definite: at this stage and at all costs, to prevent Baku’s intentions to intensify hostilities.
EMMA GABRIELYAN
