NAY TO REFERENDUM? WHAT ABOUT AUTONOMY?
By Aghavni Harutyunian

AZG Armenian Daily
30/06/2006

Aliyev’s Populism Couched in Same Words

Granting Nagorno Karabakh high status of autonomy and "agreeing to
deployment of international peacekeepers was a major concession on
Azerbaijan’s part," Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev stated. "It
can be considered a concession that we make it possible to deploy
peacekeeping forces. We can be ready for that though it’s not easy for
us as there are no foreign military detachments in our country. This
is our fundamental stance," Aliyev stated.

On the other hand, "granting Nagorno Karabakh the high status of
autonomy is a big concession as previously it used to enjoy the
status of autonomous oblast. I am stating that we are ready to apply
the highest status of autonomy that the world knows. There can be no
other concession," Aliyev said.

Though this stance is not something new, it’s interesting that
the Azerbaijani president is speaking of impossibility to make
other concessions. What does it mean? Is there a proposal of other
concessions too that are kept under wraps with the unpublicized
elements of the framework agreement? In the meantime it’s obvious
that such deployment of international peacekeepers seems to be,
in Aliyev’s words, a concession whereas it will simply serve as a
guarantee for carrying out reached agreements (concessions).