While the two Armenian sides are committed to working toward the OSCE Minsk Group proposals, the official Baku is not only keen to fulfill, but rather tries to disrupt those initiatives,” writes the former representative of Russian President to Nagorno Karabakh, Minsk Group Russian former co-chair Vladimir Kazimirov in an article published in Russian “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” newspaper.
Analyzing the recent developments around the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Kazimirov insists Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev keeps on threatening with resumption of military actions as previously. “It appears the Azerbaijani current leadership has in no way arrived at the realistic assessment of the factors on the ground, the cost his own people and the region would pay in case of new military clashes,” analyzes the author.
In his conviction, the Azerbaijani leadership has not learnt the lessons of the 1991-1994 war outcomes, as evidenced by their poor approaches and interpretation of the vital documents regarding the solution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
Expanding on Baku’s distorted interpretation of the 1994 ceasefire agreement, as well as the agreement on strengthening of the ceasefire regime signed a year later, Kazimirov says Azerbaijan is trying to present them as one document and that is done at the level of the foreign ministry, which reveals unprofessional attitude by diplomats in Baku – either done deliberately to misinterpret the facts or out of personal embarrassment.
The former diplomat considers Baku’s attitude to the co-chairs’ initiatives as non-constructive, pointing out the rejection of the investigation mechanisms.
“Ilham Aliyev’s understanding to the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict limited down to the withdrawal of the Armenian forces is too simplistic and infeasible. It is evident that the withdrawal of the troop can only happen in a comprehensive context along with solving other issues, the likes of commitment to the ceasefire agreement, commitment of non-use of force, and the new status of the Nagorno Karabakh,” reasons Kazimirov.