KARABAKH GOES TO MOSCOW
by Anton Ivanitsky
WPS Agency
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
July 20, 2009 Monday
Russia
In accordance with the Madrid principles
ARMENIAN, AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT ARE OFFERED A COMPROMISE TO SETTLE
THE KARABAKH ISSUE; Most will agree it is impossible to solve the
Karabakh problem unless both sides are willing to compromise; Armenia,
Azerbaijan exchange harsh words in the meantime
A meeting by presidents Serge Sargsyan of Armenia and Ilkham Aliev of
Azerbaijan is expected to address the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement. They
are to discuss the updated Madrid document of November 29, 2007 (the
so-called "Madrid principles") handed to them by the representatives
from the OSCE Minsk group including the U.S., Russia and France. During
the Aquila summit of July 10, Dmitry Medvedev, Barack Obama and Nicolas
Sarcozy issued a joint statement on Nagorno-Karabakh, which called
on the two countries to "settle the few remaining contradictions"
and "have full coordination of the main guiding principles".
According to the Madrid principles, Armenia and Azerbaijan
are to provide guarantees of security for international
peacekeeping organizations, and to open all transport and trade
routes. Armenian and Karabakh troops are to withdraw from all areas
near Nagorno-Karabakh. Stage one is five districts. Two of them,
the Kelbajar and the Lachi, are to be given a special status.
Prior to the Moscow meeting the parties exchanged some stern
statements. Ilkham Aliev said in an interview aired July 5, "The
status of Nagorno-Karabakh is a future matter, and the proposals
we are currently discussing do not include the matter of its
status. Naturally, we are not looking into Nagorno-Karabakh as a
sovereign country scenario".
This last phrase by Aliev is contrary to the Madrid principles, as it
is said in the long-term perspective the population of Karabakh are
to decide its status. The Armenian president said in September 2008
that to effectively solve the protracted conflict they would have to
convince Baku that self-determination for Karabakh was in order.
Press secretary Eduard Sharmanazov of the Republican party of Armenia
chaired by Serge Sargsyan said the Azerbaijani president was attempting
to do two things at a time. According to Sharmanazov, Aliev was both
saying he would uphold the Madrid principles, and publicly stating
they would insist on Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, which is far
from true. Former Nagordno-Karabakh president who is now Armenia’s
special envoy, Arkady Gukasyan, said "the pronouncements by Azerbaijani
leaders confirmed they were not prepared to compromise".
The two leaders reaffirmed their adherence to the Madrid principles
on November 2, 2008, during the talks held at Mayendorf near Moscow
at the invitation of President Medvedev.
According to Aleksandr Tsipko of the International foundation for
social, economic and political studies – Gorbachev foundation, and
the Russian academy of sciences Institute of economics international
economic and political studies department, while the international
mediation in the Karabakh problem is essential, the responsibility in
ending the conflict lies on the two countries. "They need historical
courage, as it is impossible to solve the problem unless both sides
are ready to make concessions. The Armenians in Karabakh will never
agree to become de jure Azerbaijani citizens. Azerbaijani areas now
temporarily occupied have to be returned to Azerbaijan".