ALIYEV EYES LACHIN AS ERDOGAN SAYS NO DEAL WITHOUT KARABAKH
ARA KHACHATOURIAN

Asbarez
showarticle=41651_4/20/2009_1
Monday, April 20, 2009

Following meetings with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev,
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev on Saturday told the Russian state-run
television that while he understood the importance of a land link
between Armenia and Nagrono-Karabakh, he envisioned the Lachin corridor
to become a crossing path for both Armenians and Azeris alike following
the final resolution of the conflict.

Meanwhile in Turkey, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated
that without a resolution to the Karabakh conflict there would be no
deal on the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border, effectively telling
his constituency to not hold their breath for an immediate solution.

Lachin, or Kashatagh as it is known in Armenian, is a vital and
strategic area and serves as a main link between Armenia and
the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. In fact, one of the first projects
that the Armenia Fund undertook and successfully completed was the
construction of Lachin corridor–a highway connecting Armenia to
Stepanakert via Lachin.

Aliyev also demanded that all liberated territories be "returned"
to Azerbaijan and outlined that Lachin would serve as transport route
for the eventual return of Azeris formerly living in Karabakh-proper.

"Azerbaijan’s position on Nagorno-Karabakh reflects both the security
of the people who live there now and will live there in the future,
as well as issues of Nagorno-Karabakh’s local administration and
restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity," Aliyev said in the
interview, hinting that the any decision on the status of the Karabakh
could be postponed indefinitely, until the so-called withdrawal of
"Armenian forces" from the liberated territories.

Through various announcements, statements and leaks, it has become
evident that Aliyev’s announcements this weekend are a reiteration
of the so-called Madrid Principles on which the OSCE Minsk Group is
leading the conflict-resolution process, and pressure is mounting
on Armenia to quickly adhere to these principles and move forward to
ensure that a blueprint for regional stability that will make Armenia
more vulnerable is adopted.

There are various problems to this harried effort to reach a deal,
not the least of which is the conflict between the principles
of territorial integrity and the right to self-determination
of peoples. While Aliyev clearly is pushing for a return of the
administrative borders of the former Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous
oblast as defined by the Soviets, the population of Karabakh has
made it clear, through a popular referendum, that Karabakh’s borders
include the liberated territories. Furthermore, the Soviet borders
also include the Shahumian region, which was the scene of brutal
Azeri attacks and mass deportation of Armenians.

The new vigor that, once again, has placed Karabakh center-stage
of the region and the sense of urgency with which the two
issues–Turkish-Armenia border and Karabakh–are being forced down
everyone’s throat, leave room for irreparable damage and mistakes.

Armenian officials have reiterated their position of no preconditions
for the Turkey talks and, on numerous occasions, have advocated the
right to self-determination of the people of Karabakh, but it is
time for them to veer away from rhetorical statements and present a
comprehensive plan that would clearly delineate what we, as Armenians,
will gain in the event of a deal on both fronts.

With Azerbaijan’s vocal and often confrontational approach to the
Karabakh issue, it is also time for a more urgent push to bring
Karabakh to the negotiating table, as this critical void in the peace
process could become the key for lasting peace in the region.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress