THE MADRID PRINCIPLES WITH THE BAKISH ACCENT
Leonid Martirosyan

Azat Artsakh Daily
July 29, 2009
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

Last week was marked by the intensive discussions in the societies of
Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan by the so-called updated
Madrid principles, on the basis of which the settlement of the
Karabakh conflict is provided. And if in Armenia and Azerbaijan
were found supporters as well as opponents of the last proposals
of the co-chairmanship of the OCSE Minsk Group, then in NK their
frank aversion was observed practically at all levels. Perhaps,
there is nothing surprising in this, since any proposed version of
the solution of the problem in the case of its realization will be
directly concern to the fate of the people of the Republic of Nagorno
Karabakh. And from that, how much this decision will be objective,
depends on the very prospect of the existence of the Karabakh people
on the ancient land of their ancestors. From this viewpoint, the
last proposal of the mediators does not differ from the objectivity.
As is well known, among the Madrid principles – determination of the
status of Karabakh via free will, the guarantee of a land relation
between Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia, pledging of security blanket,
withdrawal of troops from the controlled territories. In the process
of discussion of these principles, many copies were broken. Especially
heated discussions were developed concerning to the withdrawal of the
troops, which is completely explainable and understandable-in case of
fulfilling this position of the Madrid principles, under the serious
threat will be the fundamental human rights-the right to life. Since
the coercion of the Defense Army of the NKR to the withdrawal from
the controlled historical Armenian lands, librated during the war,
will be nothing but promote the aggression in initiating a new war,
the promotion of new attempts of Azerbaijan to implement its goals,
which could not be reached during military campaign, which was
completed infamous for Azerbaijan. The present development of the
process of the settlement of the Azerbaijani- Karabakh conflict
testifies that the international intermediaries search political,
instead of the legal decision. In other words, they proceed from the
notorious political expedience, ignoring obvious legal aspects, and
as consequence -the legal arguments, which are more than convincing
by the Karabakhian part. Such relation to the problem is nothing else
but a deformed idea about the essence of the conflict and the methods
of its permission. Meanwhile as soon as mediators speak about the base
principles of the settlement, thus operating with legal concepts and
terms, then I would like to remind the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group and to all who try to have an influence on the process of
the settlement, that the problem lies not in t erritorial plane, as
Azerbaijan tries to present it, but in the plane of legal. It seems
that many have forgotten or would like to forget that the current
stage of the Karabakh movement started as a desperate reaction of
autochthonous Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh to Azerbaijan’s
blatant discriminatory policies, which was aimed at full destruction
of the land. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, this policy has
found its continuation in a bloody war, the aim of which was the total
destruction of the Armenian population. In countries, by right ranking
themselves to the civilized world, they like to talk and discuss
about the fundamental rights and freedom of the person. However, in
practice, at least in the case of Nagorno-Karabakh, occurs completely
different. It seems that they deny the right to life to the people of
NK and NK has to make excuses for what it has managed to stand in an
unequal struggle and has defend its right to a secure future. Whether
is the world community would be more comfortable if Azerbaijan was
able to realize its openly racist and expansionist goals? It is hard
to believe in it. So why do the present mediators continue to carry
out into life the precisely Azerbaijani concept of the solution of
the conflict, which will not bring to peace and stability, without
being considered with the reality which has developed for the last
twenty years, without being considered with common sense. The present
scenario of the solution of the problem, there is no doubt, will
untie the hands of a ruling authoritative mode of Azerbaijan and give
it carte blanche on initiation of a new turn of war but from already
more convenient and primary positions that will inevitably create an
explosive situation in region. And no international guarantees and the
peace-keeping forces, which are also described in the notorious Madrid
principles, will not be able to prevent it from doing so. Nevertheless,
we are better than Western mediators and we know our neighbor.

Intermediaries should remember that whatever schemes of settlement
they build, their realization and viability depend on one main
condition – the proposed projects should be accepted by all the
conflicting parties.

Let’s again repeat. Any attempts to take any decision behind the back
of Nagorno Karabakh, contrary to its interests and the most important,
threatening the right of its people to life-are doomed to failure. The
people of Artsakh has defended this right at the cost of their blood
and they do not allow to trample it.
From: Baghdasarian