Baku is displeased with OSCE Minsk Group but inspired by Lavrov’s recommendations
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, under the council of foreign ministers of OSCE member states, met in Belgrade with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Igor Popov, Pierre Andrieu, James Warlick and the personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk. Mammadyarov did not miss the chance to complain of the OSCE Minsk Group’s activity.
He stated that there is no progress in Karabakh conflict settlement process. “The protracted conflicts in the OSCE area remain the major threat and challenge to peace and security on the European continent. I should sadly mention that no substantive progress has been achieved in the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict since the last meeting of the Ministerial Council in Basel.” Later, Mammadyarov blamed Armenia in disregarding the calls of the international community, including the Presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair countries to start result-oriented negotiations on a peace agreement.
However, today, referring to the joint statement by the heads of delegations of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries, the head of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry noted that it would be a good catalyst to register a progress in the peace talks. It is noteworthy that Baku officially once again have complained about the inefficiency of the settlement process, essentially, complaining of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs’ activity, but again emphasized the recommendations proposed by Russia. “The leadership of Armenia imitates the engagement with conducting talks. The withdrawal of Armenia’s troops from Nagorno-Karabakh will promote to ensure peace and security in the South Caucasus region. Lavrov’s recommendation can provide a very good impetus to reach a breakthrough in peace talks,” Mammadyarov said.
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Note that it has been two weeks since Baku officially continues to insist that Russia has submitted recommendations on Karabakh conflict settlement. ” All agree that the biggest problem is the continued occupation of Azerbaijani lands. In terms of security, this causes problems to the whole region,” said Mammadyarov in Baku in late November. “During the last visit of the mediators to Azerbaijan, the co-chairs proposed to hold a meeting between the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia. We agreed to hold the meeting by the end of this year. The co-chairs are working on this matter,” he said. That day, Mammadyarov referred to the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process at the joint press conference with the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu held in Baku, noting that he has presented Çavuşoğlu the current situation of peace talks.
Çavuşoğlu, reappointed in the position of Foreign Minister for the newly formed Turkish government, made the first visit to Azerbaijan. During the meeting with Çavuşoğlu, Aliyev has talked about the escalated Russian-Turkish relations. He has mentioned that Azerbaijan has historically close ties with both Turkey and Russia and expressed regret and concern about the current tense relations between them and assured that Azerbaijan is ready to make efforts to ease and eliminate these tensions. The meeting of the Turkish Foreign Minister and the President of Azerbaijan touched upon the problem of Karabakh. Azerbaijani authorities, these days, “joined the song” of the Turkish authorities, however, addressing the words to Moscow.
Prime Minister of Turkey, Ahmet Davutoglu, who was on an official visit to Azerbaijan, spoke of Russian and Turkish relations, noting that they have a substantial contribution to the implementation of peace and stability in the region. “The Turkish-Russian are important not only for the two countries – Turkey and Russia but also for the Caucasus, the Balkans, Central Asia, the Middle East, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea and other regions. The good relations between Turkey and Russia will contribute to the peace and stability in all these regions,” said Davutoglu. Thus, Ankara officially “reminded” Moscow that the status quo on the Nagorno-Karabakh is also maintained thanks to the “efforts” of Turkey and Russia. Russia-Turkey and Azerbaijan-Russia relations in recent years, as to how they affected the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it is obvious. Baku became more unruly and unpredictable. As to what threatens to the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process in case of escalation of the Russian-Turkish relations, one can only imagine.
Perhaps, by this very context, essentially, Davutoglu spoke from Baku. Then, Ankara officially calls on Yerevan to return the Azerbaijani lands and join the Turkey-Georgia-Azerbaijan alliance. Turkish Prime Minister, speaking at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy, announced the following: “Once again I would like to emphasize that Turkey will be by Azerbaijan’s side until a complete liberation of Azerbaijani territories. I would like to turn to Armenia if you peacefully return the territories that do not belong to you, then you will be able to join the Turkey-Georgia-Azerbaijan Alliance. We do not bear spite against anybody, but each inch of Azerbaijan’s land is dear to us, and those lands should be liberated,” he said.
Turkish Prime Minister made his first official visit abroad, according to the tradition, to Azerbaijan. Stressing the importance of the relations with that country, Turkish Prime Minister voiced the former Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev’s words, “we are two sons of one mother.” “When saying Azerbaijan, I always add, Azerbaijan, you are our soul,” said Davutoglu at the meeting with Aliyev. Later, in his lengthy speech, Davutoglu once again called on the Kremlin to set the emotional rhetoric and tough moves aside and discuss the problems around the table. “Once again I would like to turn to Russia and Mr. Putin. Let’s ease the tone of the statements, and instead of blaming each other, let us meet and discuss the problems. We are once again ready to clarify the incident happened, even though we have already talked about it earlier.”
Davutoglu reminded the Kremlin that last year, unlike dozens of countries, Turkey did not join the process of imposing sanctions against Russia, while today, Moscow is imposing sanctions against Turkey, without realizing that the sanctions will also equally harm Russia. Separating TANAP project, the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline, Turkish Prime Minister informed that the parties are trying to implement the project not in 2018, as scheduled, but rather earlier. With the help of this energy projects bypassing Armenia, it is planned to reach the Azerbaijani gas passing through the pipelines by the territory of Georgia and Turkey to the South European markets, weakening the dependence of the EU Member States on Russian energy carriers.
Incidentally, these days, Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia, as well as Minister of Energy Kakha Kaladze’s statement was also the remarkable that during the Energy Charter Forum held in Tbilisi, he acted in favor of creating a regional energy network jointly. “Georgia serves as the flagship initiative on regional energy cooperation in the South Caucasus. Our main aim is to enhance the regional cooperation at the cost of energy exchange and thus contribute to the political dialogue, attracting massive investments and developing transportation corridors,” stated Kaladze. In his words, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the South Caucasus countries “have experienced economic and social collapses on them, political antagonism, civil conflicts, blockades,” which had a negative impact on the energy sector.
Kakha Kaladze noted that the international community’s attention is focused on the Caspian energy carriers and the entire region to reach them to Europe. In his words, one of the most important projects is the establishment of power exchange between Georgia and Turkey in the volume of 700 MW. “Establishment of a common energy network with Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia will become a logical continuation, which will allow creating a regional energy market. The current and future projects make it possible to link the energy systems of South Caucasus countries, and Georgia will be a power bridge, ensuring the growth of energy exchange and trade,” said Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia.
Emma GABRIELYAN,
“Aravot” daily
