WHOSE ARMED FORCES WANT TO "KEEP PEACE"
KarabakhOpen
16-06-2008 14:28:25
The PR officer of the U.S. embassy to Azerbaijan Jonathan Henick said
in an interview with the Azerbaijani media: "Mediation of influential
countries having interests in the region may help increase the level
of confidence between the sides. However, I think neither Azerbaijan
nor Armenia will accept peacekeeping forces from Turkey and Russia
only. The co-chair countries bring opportunities to mobilize the
international community. It is necessary for humanitarian assistance,
for organization of peacekeeping forces, etc. Certainly, the most
influential countries in this process are the conflicting parties."
It follows from the words of the U.S. diplomat that the issues of
deployment of peacekeeping forces and humanitarian assistance have
been solved, and it is only necessary to decide who will be in charge
of the mission.
It follows from Jonathan Henick’s words that Azerbaijan insists on
the Turkish forces, while Armenia ostensibly on the Russian forces. It
is clear on which forces the mediators insist.
In Armenia they remember that after the first report of the
International Crisis Group a group of OSCE experts arrived in the
area of the Karabakh conflict for "reconnaissance" of the line of
contact. In other words, they studied where the peacekeeping force
could be deployed. On the same days, the representative of Russia
arrived in Karabakh secretly, who also visited the border.
At that time they said in Karabakh that if the West suddenly deploys
forces in the area of the Karabakh conflict, Russia may repeat the
Serbian scenario, and deploy forces on the border with Iran.
Apparently, nobody wants such developments, and they have decided
to postpone the entry of the peacekeeping forces to Artsakh. Nobody
has inquired why Karabakhis need to be surrounded by forces of other
countries.