NKR Presidential Spokesperson Davit Babayan refers to the statement of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, saying that “the maintenance of the status quo is impossible.” Note that the Minister of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office mentioned, “The longer the conflict lasts, the greater the likelihood of its escalation.” The problem is what we understand by saying status quo. If they want to change the status quo, then we need to call things by their proper names: What is the status quo? What do they understand by saying status quo? Do they understand the unsettled Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict? If this is what they understand, certainly, it must be settled but to change this status quo, we need to understand that there are a number of embodiments of the status quo. For example, if Azerbaijan does not give up its diplomatic and ideological status quo, in other words, the policy that it runs: anti-Armenian, inflexible, tough and not ready for concessions, then talking about other embodiments of the status quo, let’s say, normalization of the conflict, is impossible under the current situation. First of all, the status quo in the Azerbaijani ideological field should be changed, if the changes are made, then it will be possible to anticipate changes in other areas too. As long as it is not there, then talking about the status quo, generally as comprehensive settlement of the conflict would be very untimely.”
To the question of what preconditions you see for the settlement of the conflict, whether the mediators tend to Azerbaijani policy change, or by saying a change in the status quo they mean possibly more concessions from Armenia. “Ceding, in this case, is impossible, concession must be complete, otherwise, it would be ceding. They must also clarify what they understand behind it. Usually, people say things like that to show that they are working towards the settlement of the conflict.” Mr. Babayan also talked about the meeting of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier with the refugees in Baku after his visit to Yerevan. APA reported that during the meeting the Azerbaijani representative has offered to organize a “meeting of the two communities.”
“This is a provocation, Azerbaijan had put Steinmeier into an awkward situation, he might have met with them for humanitarian purposes if the meeting was held, but to talk about the establishment of the dialogue between the communities, it is not possible, it is not serious as we do not have a community status. There is a Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, and there are Greek and Russian communities and some Azerbaijani representatives in Nagorno-Karabakh, while in Azerbaijan, what they call an Azerbaijani community is simply a social project, which Azerbaijan uses for speculations. To anticipate a meeting in this format, initially, is doomed to failure because it cannot happen. We are ready if these Azerbaijani-called community representatives accept Artsakh citizenship, they can come and as former citizens of Artsakh, become citizens of Artsakh but they must accept the Republic of Artsakh, get our passports, we have always said that we are an open country.”
Arpine SIMONYAN
