US Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills also participated in the international conference on the Karabakh Conflict, organized by the Caucasus Institute. He asked the speakers: “Perhaps the Minsk Group should adopt another approach so that there will be mechanisms of trust, maybe we should pay attention to how we can contribute so that the sides sit at the same table and how we can reach the point that the public demands the government to help them achieve peace. Resources and financial aid played this role in North Ireland, maybe we should announce what help they will receive if they sit around the same table”.
Thomas de Waal, Senior Researcher at the Carnegie Europe Foundation, said: “It should not depend on societies or authorities. The Minsk Group is a conflict management group, it must meet the requirements. You, of course, offer both carrot and stick. When we talk about the pressure on two capitals, I do not think that anybody is taking serious steps towards peace at the moment if the general public does not care about the conflict, why should we care? At the same time, if both sides showed greater interest in peace, the reaction of the international community would be much better”.
Later, Thomas de Waal also answered journalists’ questions. The expert was asked about his opinion on changing the Constitution in Azerbaijan and Armenia to ensure the reproduction of the country’s authorities. De Waal said that when the country’s leadership changes, it affects the country’s economic growth. In terms of the Karabakh conflict, it is good that the leaders of the two states know each other and do not make any surprises, although the issue is not regulated peacefully.
About 5 years ago, Thomas de Waal said that neither Armenian nor Azerbaijani societies were ready for compromise. Journalists asked if he still holds the same view. Thomas de Waal replied that he had not changed his opinion: today both societies are not ready for dialogue, moreover, April 2016 drew them back on this issue, creating an atmosphere of fear in the region. On the other hand, the expert thinks that in the future, Armenians and Azerbaijanis can live together: they have lived earlier, they can do in future too. At least that was his impression of private conversations.
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
