ARTSAKH TERRITORIES CANNOT BE CHANGE COIN IN THE MEDIATORS’ GAME
Yerkir.am
June 01, 2007
A conference titled "The Call of Mrav" was held in Moscow on May
27. The conference was organized by the Armenian refugees from
Shahumian region in cooperation with the youth organization "Mitq",
"Yerkramas" newspaper of Armenians in Russia writes.
The participants of the conference discussed the Karabagh issue
and the historical-political issues connected with the territories
occupied by Azerbaijan. The main topic of all reports delivered during
the conference was the situation with the Shahumian region. The main
conclusion of the reports was: " Shahumian region is an indispensable
part of Artsakh."
It was noted that the issue of Shahumian and Getashen is not raised
during the Karabagh settlement negotiations because the Nagorno
Karabagh Republic is not participating in the negotiations process.
The mediators’ cynical approach to the settlement process
was also pointed out. The mediators are trying to create an
illusion of settlement by making unilateral concessions in favor of
Azerbaijan. They are not concerned with the future of the population
of Artsakh. Neither are they concerned with the peace and stability
in the South Caucasus region.
"Shahumian region and other territories of Arstakh cannot be change
coins in the mediators’ games that are trying to pursue the narrow
interests of their states," advisor to the Karabagh Foreign Minister
Arsen Melik Shahnazarov noted.
It was also noted that the official Yerevan’s position is too
consenting which is expressed in the indifference towards Shahumian,
Getashen and other territories in Northern Artsakh. The Armenian
population was driven out of these regions during the ethnic cleansings
in 1988. This approach is wrong because it makes it impossible to
counter the territories liberated by the Nagorno Karabagh Defense
Army to the Karabagh territories occupied by Azerbaijan.
In a report dealing with the Soviet period Azerbaijan’s aggressive
and discriminatory policies towards the Armenian population were
described. The Armenian population was forced to secede from Azerbaijan
due to these policies.
It was noted that the referendum held in Karabagh on December 10, 1991
was the expression of the will of the Armenian population in Karabagh,
including Shahumian region. The referendum was conducted in accordance
with the then effective Soviet legislation and international law.
The information war currently waged between Azerbaijan and Nagorno
Karabagh Republic is also an important issue. "Today, thirteen
years after the war between Azerbaijan and Karabagh Baku is making
propagandistic statements about " occupation of the 20% of the Azeri
territory and one million refugees".
These figures are obvious falsification, merely a propaganda tool. A
generation of pathologically falsified citizens and political leaders
is thus brought up in Azerbaijan which is not capable of any peaceful
settlement based on a consensus," one of the reports stated.
Andrey Areshov, an expert from the Foundation for Strategic Culture,
described in his report the current situation in the region and the
Karabagh negotiations process.
Documentary films telling about the Karabagh war were screened during
the conference. Deputy Director of the Caucasus Studies Center at the
Moscow State Institute of Foreign Relations Vladirmir Zakharov welcomed
the participants of the conference. Zakharov frequently visits Artsakh
lecturing at Artsakh State University. Zakharov presented his vision
of the Artsakh issue expressing his opinion that the Nagorno Karabagh
Republic must be an independent state.
A booklet titled "The Call of Mrav" was published for the
conference. The booklet presents the history of the ancient Gyulistan
and the chronology of the 1988-1992 events in Shahumian region. The
reports delivered during the conference will also be published.