Baku message to the international community: “if the territories are not returned,” a new aggression will commence
What could Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev say in 2016 in the joint press conference with the OSCE co-chair, the Armenian Genocide recognized Bundestag and acting in favor of the Armenia-Turkey dialogue, German Chancellor Angela Merkel so that its sponsor Russia would feel flattered … The role of Russian Federation in the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh crises is “constructive”, – said Aliyev and adds, – “We have a very friendly relationship with Russia … We view Russia as our strategic partner, Russia’s practices fully comply with it.”
Generally, it is strange when at the joint press conference with OSCE co-chair country’s Chancellor not the role of the OSCE Minsk Group is stressed but Moscow’s role. After the four-day war in April, Baku certainly cannot criticize the OSCE Minsk Group so harshly like before, instead, they have chosen the policy separating Russia from the OSCE Minsk Group. It is quite understandable. The Azerbaijani-Russian relations for Baku are of “strategic ally”, by Putin’s visualization – “fraternal”, and this means that Aliyev expects more from Putin on Karabakh issue than from other two OSCE MG Co-Chair countries.
So, what Aliyev wants in this state from the war unleashed in April and asked for a truce from Moscow. To give the subsequent oath of loyalty to Moscow and speak again how fragility is the truce. “The ceasefire established in Karabakh is not stable, the status quo is unacceptable,” – says Aliyev at the joint press conference with Markel and again recalled the “20 percent of territories lost by Azerbaijan”, “Armenian occupation”, and the UN adopted resolutions. Addressing the aggression in April, Aliyev noted that Baku was able to regain control of some territories, “This is a lesson that I think the RA authorities should not forget. We adhere to the peaceful settlement, and therefore, stopped the clashes in April. We do not want war, we need peace, we need to return our territories and settle down the problem.” While addressing a meeting in Vienna last May the Azerbaijani leader said. “The Vienna meeting was successful. We expect that soon without wasting time we will launch serious, as mediators say, essential, in other words, contextual talks.”
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In other words, today, Aliyev sends a message to the international community, “If the territories are not returned,” Azerbaijan will kick off a new aggression, which in its turn means that attending the peaceful negotiations is only an even for Aliyev because he cannot refuse the co-chair countries. This is in the case when the OSCE Minsk Group Russian co-chair Igor Popov recently stated that there is a prospect for reaching a framework agreement on the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, with an enshrining document having a legal obligation.
It is notable that at the press conference with Merkel, Aliyev deemed it necessary to justify Russia’s policy of arming his country. “The fact that Russia is selling weapons to Armenia does not cause allergy to us, we understand that Russia is a major arms manufacturer and can sell it to any country. This issue causes allergy to Armenia, but unlike Armenia, we are paying the full price for the arms. Opportunely, it is no secret that we buy weapons also from Turkey, Israel, Iran, Belarus and many other countries, as we are modernizing our armed forces.”
Unlike Aliyev’s mentioned countries, Russia is a co-chair country in the OSCE Minsk Group, which means that it is obliged to contribute to the peaceful settlement of the conflict. But importantly here is that one more “lawyer” has emerged in officially defending “Moscow’s business”. Interestingly, there are also “lawyers” in Armenia thinking like Aliyev.
In an interview with “Interfax”, OSCE MG Russian Co-Chair Igor Popov said that the OSCE experts are engaged in the issues of introducing mechanisms investigating border incidents, “Last week, together with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, we have passed the expertise conclusions to the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia, we are waiting for the conclusion by the parties.”
It’s interesting why no estimate is given so far to the response on this importance question continuously extended by Azerbaijan. If Aliyev announces that Azerbaijan allegedly wants a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, then at this stage, the first step to establishing peace in the contact line and on the borders is the fulfillment of the proposal to introduce investigation mechanisms.
The next obvious provocative move. Aliyev announces again that Azerbaijan continues to intensify its military capacity. Delivering a speech on the National Day of Azerbaijan, he said, “We should certainly build up and strengthen our military power. The army building process is underway for many years. Our army combat preparedness and military logistics are on the high level. The most progressive ammunition and military equipment are imported as well as manufactured in our country. Azerbaijan already manufactures more than a thousand name military products.” In his words, Azerbaijan will take further actions in this direction in the future, corresponding orders are already issued, “I do not want to reveal them. Necessary measures are initiated for the procurement of logistics supply and additional up-to-date equipment.”
While what agreements have the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries’ ministers: the US Secretary of State John Kerry, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, State Secretary for the European Affairs of France Harlem Désir, as well as the three co-chairs of the Minsk Group have reached on May 16 in Vienna. As a result of the meeting, the statement disseminated by mediating countries stated about the necessity of maintaining truce and the establishment of mechanisms to control the border incidents, as well as it was urged that the presidents have agreed to hold the next meeting in June with the aim of resuming negotiations on the comprehensive settlement of the conflict. Aliyev ahead to the expected meeting of the presidents in June, actually, has again passed to his “traditional methods”. He is giving the next slap at the face of mediating countries.
EMMA GABRIELYAN
