ARMENIA REFUSES TO WITHDRAW FROM OCCUPIED LANDS
by Nurani
Source: Ekho (Baku) December 1, 2006, EV
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
December 6, 2006 Wednesday
"Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan" are playing their part in the
PR campaign
A VIEW FROM BAKU: ARMENIA IS NOT GOING TO WITHDRAW ITS TROOPS FROM
AZERBAIJANI LANDS; Official Baku is convinced it is no use waiting
for Armenia to let go of the occupied lands.
The Prague Process intensifying, official Yerevan keeps making
statements implying that there is no use waiting for any concessions
from Armenia. The accord on the return to Azerbaijan of territories
controlled by the Karabakh army is unlikely, Defense Minister Serj
Sarkisjan told journalists in Yerevan. (Along with everything else,
Sarkisjan is regarded as President Robert Kocharjan’s potential
successor.) Sarkisjan said, however, that he had no information on
existence of accords on the return of the lands. Commenting on the
possibility that Armenia could also agree to return Kjalbajar to
Azerbaijan in the negotiations, Sarkisjan said that he had never
spoken of specific territories and that he did not want to discuss
the matter now. In other words, Armenia will never withdraw from the
occupied territories if it can help it. And since nobody seems to be
prepared to put Armenia under pressure over it, expediency of future
talks is at least questionable.
There is one other nuance to be mentioned as well. The so-called "civil
network" specializing in "promotion of Armenian refugees’ interests"
drew attention to itself in Yerevan practically simultaneously
with Sarkisjan’s statement. Its activists released a statement to
remind the negotiating parties that stability and lasting peace were
impossible without putting on the agenda the issue of "deportation of
Armenian refugees from the Soviet Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan". That
"Nakhichevan" is not mentioned as a part of "Soviet Azerbaijan"
is symbolic. Armenia aspires for these lands too.
Even more thought-provoking is the phrase that "it should be
clear to everyone that Armenian refugees would never return to
any Azerbaijan-controlled territory where their very lives will be
forfeit. Anti-Armenian bias in Azerbaijan is worsening. We maintain
that Armenian refugees have the right to move to the former Agdam and
Fizuli, Kashatag (Lachin – editorial office) and Karvachar (Kjalbajar –
editorial office), to all territories that are known as the security
zone. It is the Armenian authorities’ duty to help them."
Activists promise to forward to the "parliament" of the self-proclaimed
"Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh" a new draft law on citizenship. The
document will grant Nagorno-Karabakh citizenship to all Azerbaijani
Armenians.
Official Yerevan hasn’t supported the "civil initiative" so far. On
the other hand, initiatives like that never appear without an
encouraging nod from the authorities, particularly initiatives put
forth by self-proclaimed "political technologists". Firstly, all this
screaming on "promotion of Armenian refugees’ rights" is but a PR
trick, an excuse to refuse to withdraw the troops from the Azerbaijani
territories. Secondly, papers of "citizens of Nagorno-Karabakh" that
will be issued to all Armenians are but an element of preparations
for a referendum the political establishment of both countries is
actively discussing these days. The lack of official support is not
the reason for taking the "initiative" lightly.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
