NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT: FINAL STRETCH AT RACE FOR PRIZE OF PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA?
Trend
July 14 2009
Azerbaijan
The last visit of the OSCE Minsk Group to the region was marked
by their statement that the process of negotiations on the
Nagorno-Karabakh settlement came to the final stretch. And the next
breakthrough in the talks is expected at the next meeting of the
Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia to be held in Moscow on July 17
within the traditional race for the prize of the President of Russia.
"The Moscow meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia
will help reach the finish line on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
settlement," Russian co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group Yuri
Merzlyakov said to press conference on July 10 after his visit to Baku.
It is impossible to deny significant advancements in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement over the last year. The fact
that the presidents of the conflicting sides meet regularly already
gives hopes for efficient result of negotiations. But the question
on what conditions a framework agreement must be signed between the
conflicting sides remains open.
During their last visit to the region, the co-chairmen of the OSCE
Minsk Group did not detail the items of the next negotiations,
but advised to pay attention to recent statements by Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev. MG co-chairmen noted that precisely they
can make a conclusion on two items on which the mediators hope to
conclude the negotiations "and then open a new debate on the topic,
which up to now, has been discussed only in general terms," said
French co-chairman Bernard Fassier.
Apparently, the talks in Moscow will focus on the issues that President
Ilham Aliyev spoke in an interview with ITAR-TASS news agency and
presenter of News Sunday telecast Sergey Brilev regarding the results
of Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to Baku.
During interview, President Aliyev said that it needs to resolve the
conflict based on international law, OSCE decisions and resolutions
of the UN Security Council. "And, of course, this legal framework
envisages restoration of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan,
withdrawal of Armenian occupying forces from Azerbaijan’s territory
and the return of refugees to their homeland," he said.
Reading the interview, it becomes clear that the Azerbaijani side
really constructively approaches the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
settlement. "Our proposal reflects the safety of those people who
are there, in the Nagorno-Karabakh, now live and will live; reflect
the issues of local self-government of Nagorno-Karabakh; reflect
the restoration of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan," said
President Aliyev.
In the same interview were also noted those items that are of greatest
disagreement between the sides. One of the most pressing issues is the
status of Nagorno-Karabakh. According to the President of Azerbaijan,
this issue could be postponed indefinitely.
However, the Azerbaijani side has made some concessions to Armenia. In
this case, Baku supports the proposal of the OSCE Minsk Group and tries
to achieve withdrawal of Armenian occupying forces from the territories
which are located around the administrative border of Nagorno-Karabakh.
However, in one of the main issues of concern for Armenia, President
Aliyev demonstrated enough tolerance, saying that knowing the
importance for the Armenian side to have a ground link between Armenia
and Nagorno-Karabakh, considers that "the issues related to the Lachin
corridor can be effectively addressed so that there was no concern
for those who live in Nagorno-Karabakh today and the Azerbaijani
population who will return there after the settlement of the conflict."
If the Armenian side is ready for constructive dialogue at the upcoming
meeting in Moscow, the "final stretch" of negotiations is indeed quite
possible outcome from a protracted territorial dispute. Of course,
this does not mean that the conflict between neighboring countries
will be completely exhausted this year. But even some convergence of
views gives hope for a reasonable approach to future work of sides
on solution of this problem in future.