Azerbaijan violating truce to influence peace talks – Armenian aide

Aravot, Yerevan
18 Mar 05

Armenia’s main priority is to ensure strict security guarantees for
the Nagornyy Karabakh people and the recognition of the region’s
independence and self-determination, Armenian presidential adviser
Garnik Isagulyan has said. Nagornyy Karabakh is an independent state
that must be taken into account, he said. Touching on the recent
cease-fire violations on the Armenian-Azerbaijani contact line,
Isagulyan stressed that in order to change the format of the OSCE
Minsk Group and force the Minsk Group to conduct a different policy
with respect to Nagornyy Karabakh, the Azerbaijani party is trying to
show that the situation in the region is unstable and that a
resumption of military actions is possible. He urged Azerbaijan to put
an end to the firefights on the front line. At the same time,
Isagulyan said that the Armenian forces are ready to give an
appropriate response to each attack from the Azerbaijani side. The
following is the text of Margarit Yesayan’s report by Armenian
newspaper Aravot on 18 March headlined “We will defend our
motherland”. Subheadings have been inserted editorially:

Garnik Isagulyan, advisor to the Armenian president, comments on the
cease-fire violations on the contact line between Azerbaijan and the
Nagornyy Karabakh Republic [NKR].

We are ready to defend the country

[Aravot correspondent] Cease-fire violations have lately become
frequent. What impact can such a situation have on the peaceful
settlement of the Karabakh conflict?

[Garnik Isagulyan] It should be noted that no cease-fire violations
from the Armenian party have been registered. As for the Azerbaijani
party, unfortunately, they, including [Azerbaijani President] Ilham
Aliyev, have lately made statements that if the peace talks do not
progress as Azerbaijan expects, that country may start military
actions. It is clear that these fine-sounding statements do not
coincide with today’s balance of forces. Azerbaijanis are well aware
that the balance of forces is not in their favour. Since the beginning
of March up till now, provocations from the Azerbaijani party have
been continuing. Unfortunately, there were casualties and deaths on
both sides. It is great sorrow, each soldier is dear to us. On the
other hand, the country’s defence is at stake, and we are ready for
this. Our forces gave an appropriate response to each attack from the
Azerbaijani party and did not cede a single inch of our territory.

[Correspondent] So, what is the explanation for these calls and acts?

[Isagulyan] We are confident enough that being well aware that all the
options for solving the problem proposed within the framework of the
OSCE Minsk Group lead to Nagornyy Karabakh’s de facto independence,
and it is impossible to neglect this independence, the Azerbaijani
authorities resort to these acts in order to change the process of
solving the problem.

Hostilities doomed to failure

[Correspondent] Nevertheless, firefights occur on the border, there
are people wounded and killed. Can it mean that military actions have
resumed on the border?

[Isagulyan] No, as we are sure that all this is doomed to failure.
Unfortunately, all provocations happen mainly in the Agdam
direction. The Azerbaijani party has probably launched reconnaissance
activities, but we’d urge them to stop them for the time being as a
mission has visited the liberated territories at their own request and
serious reports on this issue are expected soon. If they are informed
of the initial version of these reports and know that they are not in
their favour and if they have understood that all their acts in the
international arena are failing, it does not allow them to resume
military actions in that region. Maybe, in order to change the format
of the OSCE Minsk Group and force the Minsk Group to conduct a
different policy with respect to Nagornyy Karabakh, the Azerbaijani
party is trying to show that the situation in the region is unstable
and that a resumption of military actions is possible.

[Correspondent] However, it is evident that the negotiations have
failed due to the efforts of the Armenian party as well. Does it mean
that a resumption of military actions is in favour of both parties’
authorities?

[Isagulyan] I can say that the Armenian party has not set itself a
task to disrupt any process. We have always been ready for
negotiations at any level and if Azerbaijan sees any problems in the
negotiating process, it is their own problem.

Karabakh’s independence is a priority

[Correspondent] If the military actions on the border intensify, what
steps will the Armenian party take?

[Isagulyan] The position of the Armenian party is well-known – to
establish Nagornyy Karabakh’s right to self-determination. It is a
fact that Nagornyy Karabakh has never been part of Azerbaijan. This
has been made clear. [Unclear sentence omitted]

[Correspondent] If the military actions resume, will it mean that the
negotiations held by [Armenian President] Robert Kocharyan since 1998
have been senseless and fruitless? That’s to say we shall return to
1998.

[Isagulyan] I would not say so, as the policy I have spoken about has
been conducted since 1998, i.e. Nagornyy Karabakh is an independent
state that must be taken into account. Since 1998, the Armenian
authorities have not brought the negotiating process into deadlock,
they have not attempted to neglect them or avoid participating in
them. We have no right to ignore the situation that existed before
1994. And I do not think that Azerbaijan or the international
community are right in demanding unilateral compromises from
Armenia. The Armenian authorities will not agree to such compromises
without strict security guarantees for the Karabakh people and the
recognition of Karabakh’s independence and self-determination. I
repeat that Karabakh has never been part of Azerbaijan and this will
be the main line of our policy.