GEOGRAPHICAL MAP UNCHANGEABLE – ARMENIANS AND AZERIS DOOMED TO BE NEIGHBORS

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.03.2006 19:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Permanent political instability in Azerbaijan was
an important factor in the Karabakh war, author of “Black Garden”
book dedicated to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict Thomas de Waal said
in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net. In his words, during the
critical battles for Shushi and Lachin the Azeri troops left for
Baku to meddle in the internal political disorders. “The greatest
territorial surrenders were Aghdam and Fizuli and they occurred in
1994,” de Waal noted.

At the same time he noted that anyone knows that the geographical
map cannot be changed. “Armenians and Azeris will always have to live
as neighbors and it’s painful to see that the two societies abide by
the slogan “Karabakh is ours and it’s inseparable”.

Neither of the parties is ready for compromise that is why it’s
hard to achieve complete peace,” the journalist said. Thomas de
Waal says the leadership of Armenia and Azerbaijan is responsible
for it. “The peaceful plan is generally outlined. Karabakh will
de-facto maintain the present status with the corridor to Armenia;
Azerbaijan will receive its lands back and refugees will be allowed
to return… However the settlement process cannot be started without
dialogue and mutual trust,” he underscored.