ZAHID ORUJ: "NOW AZERBAIJAN HAS FORCED ARMENIA TO UNDERTAKE THE SELF-DEFENSE TACTICS"

Today.Az, Azerbaijan
.html
April 30 2008

Day.Az interview with Zahid Oruj, Milli Medjlis deputy, member of
the permanent parliamentary commission on security and defense.

-How would you comment on the statement, passed by the Armenian
parliament regarding Nagorno Karabakh which in particular stresses
the need to work out a mechanism for provision of support to Nagorno
Karabakh by Armenia in case Azerbaijan resumes war in the region?

-Primarily, attention should be paid to the fact that events,
ongoing in Armenia are not fully reflected in the Azerbaijani press
or presented to our community, which hinders the formation of a full
scale image about processes, ongoing in neighboring country, which
has not formed as a state.

Sometimes, familiarizing with anti-governmental materials in Armenian
mass media, I regret that our community and political elite do not
always base on this critics. By its radicalism, Armenian society
and its anti-governmental elite outstrips ours, its activity is more
substantiated.

In such conditions, the illegitimate government of the Karabakh clain,
ruling over Armenia, is obliged to make efforts to raise trust of the
population, get certain political dividends, remove the split within
the society. Naturally, the Karabakh problem is the best instrument for
it, therefore, it is not by accident that one of the steps of the new
authorities in this direction became the decision, you have indicated.

Let’s see whether these steps, undertaken in the past or now, have
unified the Armenian community or put an end to the split between
the institutes of diaspora and lobby> On the contrary I consider that
Serzh will not be able to gain the trust of people. Certainly, he will
represent his country on the international arena from the legal point
of view, but the support of powers by the people is also important,
why Serzh does not have this support. Do not forget that the actions,
not basing on the support of people, gradually lead to elimination
of the political elite, undertaking them.

It seems to me that currently Armenia’s so-called "brain centers",
political institutions enter a new stage and this is mainly connected
with the events in the Balkans,. Yerevan saw that the main arguments,
which the West presented to legitimate independence of Kosovo, was
recognition of rights of Kosovo residents by Serbians and application
of the most brutal actions against them, including genocide, though
this can not be the basis for independence of any people.

Yet in the present day realities the world society substantiated
independence of Kosovo, this ethnic area of local importance,
by such moral and political factors. This was the uniqueness of
the Kosovo issue. Now Armenians consider different kind of steps,
aiming to involve Azerbaijan in various provocations, especially,
in military clashes, even at the expense of the lives of Armenian
people, to attach the same uniqueness to Nagorno Karabakh. At the
same time Armenians realize that in current conditions they lack such
a platform in the Karabakh issue, as Azerbaijan has not committed
genocide against Karabakh Armenians and on the contrary has fallen
victim of it, and on basis of this genocide, the working leadership
of Armenia came to power.

Thus, I think that the real cause of the events ongoing in Armenia
were the circumstances I presented.

-At the same time, the Armenian parliament periodically raise the
issue of possible recognition of independence of Nagorno Karabakh by
Armenia. Is it real?

-I don’t think it is. Recognition of independence of Nagorno
Karabakh will affect the state system of Armenia, which has not formed
yet. This step will in fact imply Armenia’s recognition of its indirect
participation in the occupation of Azerbaijani lands, which Armenians
have so far avoided. They personally speak of the untimeliness of this
step and the reason is clear. They are well aware that the steps,
undertaken by Armenia, have not yet helped to achieve the goal, set
by Yerevan: international pressure on Azerbaijan and its recognition
of that Karabakh Armenians have no alternative to independence.

Armenians realize that recognition of independence of Nagorno Karabakh
will lead to nothing. Unlike Kosovo, this will not be supported by
various countries. Nagorno Karabakh will never demonstrate itself as
a subject of international law and no one intends to provide a place
in the United Nations for it. This means that it will ot be able to
gain attributes of independence and on the contrary the process of
the peaceful settlement of the conflict will be affected. Azerbaijan
will gain political and diplomatic advantages, as Armenia will itself
prove the fact of the rude violation of the norms of international law.

Thus, Armenians avoid this step.

-Anyway the Armenian parliament express its position on Nagorno
Karabakh more frequently that Milli Medjlis, hold hearings,
discussions and other events with attraction of local and foreign
representatives. Don’t you think that our parliament should also
intensify its efforts on the problem?

-I think on the current stage we should pay more attention to the
traditional course, aimed at the more active advancement on the
diplomatic front for the purpose of strengthening international
support. I would like to note that Armenians have already undertaken
the tactics of self-defense in the result of it. Now they are obliged
to oppose the facts, we present.

I have recently familiarized with the session record of the Armenian
parliament and some announcements and saw the anxiety about the steps,
undertaken by Azerbaijan, while in the mid 1990s we were obliged to
follow them, opposing their statements by some well-known reasons,
that is Azerbaijan has conducted a policy "They tell a lie"

Therefore, I consider that any public discussions of the Karabakh
problem should not be built depending on the steps of the Armenian
side, by making an impression that we fall for their bait. This would
restrict our capacities.

On the other hand, I have always spoken for discussion of the Karabakh
problem in the parliament, as international situation is changing,
many new initiatives are being formed in the society which strengthens
the position of the country. I wish the discussion of the Karabakh is
not turned into a tool for gaining scores in the internal political
fight. We, in the parliament, have always feared the speculations
with this topic.

I have repeatedly witnessed that our opposition tries to consider
this issue from a different aspect. I think, the defining factor is
the position of the head of state on this issue. Analyze the position
of political powers of our country on the said problem and see whether
others have the second, non-compromise position on the Karabakh issue,
which fully reflects the national interests, and I want everyone to
assess the position in the duly manner.