It is time for decisive steps
Vardges Ovyan
12-04-2008 12:22:58 – KarabakhOpen
The UN GA resolution and the efforts of Azerbaijan to shift the talks
for Karabakh from the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group to other
international organizations reminded of the existence of the Karabakh
issue. The first was the president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan to
respond, who stated that if Azerbaijan carries on this policy, Armenia
and Karabakh will have to correct their approaches, and the recognition
of Artsakh by Armenia is not ruled out.
This was followed by discussion of the settlement of Karabakh at the
National Assembly of Armenia. The mistakes of the Armenian diplomacy
and information agencies in responding to the initiatives of the foe
are already admitted officially. However, the problem is not admitting
mistakes, especially that not every mistake is easily corrected. The
train of the Karabakh settlement has gone too far and now decisive
steps are needed.
The Minsk Group and the authors of the UN GA resolution speak only
about the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, the return of seven
territories and Azerbaijani refugees. There is no word about half a
million Armenian refugees from Shahumyan, Getashen, Kirovabad, Sumgait,
Baku. According to the proposals, the Armenian force should be
withdrawn from Artsakh, and only after that the talks for the status of
Karabakh will start, which `must be determined through a compromise’.
It turns out that compromise is applied only to the issue of status of
Karabakh.
According to the logic of proposals offered to the sides, we must give
everything that we need for our life and security to Azerbaijan and
only after that they will bother to talk to us about the status. In
addition, they demand a compromise.
I am deeply convinced that Artsakh should make decisive steps. We
should already realize that diplomacy defies modesty. An Azerbaijani
slaughtered an Armenian at the heart of Europe, and we were silent.
Moreover, many thought that we should not get off our civilized
loftiness and be reduced to our neighbors. Our foe cleared Nakhidjevan
of the native Armenian population, defiled graves, but we did not utter
a word on how we can live side by side with a nation which destroys
even our history.
It is high time that we stand up for our right to live. And since the
proposals included in the international documents over the past 15
years do not reflect our interests, I think the NKR government, namely
the National Assembly, should discuss the recent developments regarding
the Karabakh issue and adopt a statement. The parliament must state
that it rejects the proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group because those
proposals leave out Karabakh and ignore the rights and interests of the
people of Karabakh.
It is necessary to focus on the political and legal aspects (Artsakh
was never part of independent Azerbaijan, and in the Soviet years it
was acceded by Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan) rather than the
opposition of the issues of territorial integrity and
self-determination.
It is necessary to initiate international discussions on the problem of
Shahumyan, part of Martakert and Martuni regions, which are still
occupied by Azerbaijan, as well as the fate of half a million people
displaced from the areas of Azerbaijan populated by Armenians.
Today, I think, there are favorable conditions for such statements,
namely the aspiration of Azerbaijan to change the format of the
mediation mission, the new governments in Armenia and NKR which suppose
new approaches and a new policy.
It is time for decisive steps, response to the aggressive policy and
propaganda of Azerbaijan. Especially that the Armenian political
scientists and diplomats are already talking about it loudly.