GEORGY PETROSIAN: OFFICIAL BAKU’S POLICY AIMED AT ENDANGERING REGIONAL PEACE BECOMES SERIOUS THREAT FOR WHOLE REGION’S SECURITY
Noyan Tapan
Dec 17, 2008
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Azeri side’s attempts aimed
at thrusting upon the mediators and international community their
own views of both Nagorno Karabakh problem and its settlement ways
through various international forums is not news for us. NKR Foreign
Minister Georgy Petrosian stated this in response to journalists’
questions. According to him, within the framework of this policy
official Baku makes various tricks, in particular, presents itself
as a victim in the aggression it started against the NKR people and
veils its goals with slogans of European values and democracy. While
Azeri leadership’s latest statements, according to G. Petrosian, in
particular, Ilham Aliyev’s unique commentary upon Moscow Declaration’s
points, that is, denial of conflict settlement in a peaceful way,
as well as Azeri settlement principles show the whole hypocricy of
Azeri democracy and reduce to zero international community’s all
attempts to look for problem settlement ways.
As the NKR Foreign Minister affirmed, at all stages of Nagorno Karabakh
problem development the Azeri side has always been the main bearer of
force solution. The calculation on force resulted in ethnic slaughters
and deportation of Armenians from Sumgayit, Baku, Kirovabad, and other
former Azeri SSR populated areas, which was followed by the Koltso
(Circle) operation aimed at forcible deportation of Armenian villages
of Nagorno Karabakh’s Shahumian, Hadrut, and Shoushi regions. According
to G. Petrosian, during the conflict military stage Baku repeatedly
avoided to limit and to stop military operations, failed ceasefire
agreements, was the first and repeated violator of UN Security Council
four resolutions, did not completely and in time fulfill their demand
and appeal. After concluding a truce the Azeri leadership actively
purchased a great number of attacking ammunition by strengthening the
arms race and continued threatening to the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
to resume military operations. Official Baku’s policy to endanger
regional peace being the main precondition for implementation of
international investment programs and socio-economic development
becomes a serious threat for stability and security of not only NKR,
but also the whole region.
The NKR Foreign Minister affirmed that the current status quo is the
result of Azerbaijan’s aggression against NKR and its people and its
further military operations and as the war initiator Azerbaijan bears
the whole responsibility for its consequences. The created status
quo is the minimum that permitted to ensure NKR and its people’s
security and independence under the circumstance of Azerbaijan’s
aggression. "The change of that status quo, in our opinion, inevitably
will result in situation’s destabilization, strengthening of tension
with possible resumption of military operations. In the years of Soviet
power Azeri SSR’s leadership, including with "national leader" Heydar
Aliyev’s hands, tried to make Nagorno Karabakh not self-sufficient
and dependent on Baku first of all trying to change population’s
demographic staff. It was also expressed during the determination of
the borders of the Autonomous Region of Nagorno Karabakh. Now they
try to return Nagorno Karabakh to the past. However, all attempts
are doomed to failure," the NKR Foreign Minister said.
The Minister also said that the NKR authorities have received no
document (he meant the "technical document" that according to OSCE
Minsk Group Co-chairman Bernard Fassier’s information, was given to the
conflict sides within the framework of Ministers’ meeting in Helsinki)
yet. However, according to the Foreign Minister, as a conflict side,
which has been recognized as such according to OSCE basic documents
on Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the NKR authorities expect to receive
that document from Minsk Group Co-chairs in the near future.