AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
Aug 18 2009
Baku suggests European, US peacekeepers in conflict zone
18-08-2009 23:55:24
A senior Azerbaijani official has said certain differences remain in
the principles on settling the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict
supported by Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Novruz Mammadov, the head of the Presidential Administration
international relations department, told local Turan news agency that
Baku`s position remains unchanged: Armenia must withdraw its armed
forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories around Upper Garabagh
stage by stage and Azerbaijani refugees displaced by the armed
conflict in the early 1990s are to return home. This must be followed
by the liberation of the strategic Lachin and Kalbajar districts,
simultaneously with creating a corridor between Upper Garabagh and
Armenia. These activities are to be accompanied by the demining of
territories and rehabilitation work. All this may take five to ten
years.
"Further, the return of IDPs to Upper Garabagh proper and the
stationing of peacekeeping forces are to follow. After 60,000
Azerbaijanis return there and the 1991 situation is reinstated, a
legal status of Upper Garabagh may be developed. All this may take up
to ten years," Mammadov said, reiterating that the status
determination must be in line within Azerbaijan`s territorial
integrity.
The presidential administration official noted that it was impossible
to cite specific timeframes at this point, as it is currently
uncertain how the developments will unfold.
760,000 IDPs are expected to return to their homes in the seven
Azerbaijani districts around Upper Garabagh that are currently under
Armenian occupation.
"All the houses, production, industrial and social infrastructure
there is destroyed. The entire rehabilitation cannot be done
overnight. Mine clearance alone may take several years. This being
said, the whole settlement process may drag on for 15 to 20 years,"
Mammadov said.
Mammadov did not delve into details of the updated Madrid principles,
a proposed peace outline brought forward in November 2007, but noted
that they pertain to developing the Garabagh`s status, i.e. when and
who will determine it, and how this decision will be made.
"There are issues concerning peacekeeping forces, their composition
and the time of their stationing, and there are certain issues
concerning the corridor [linking Upper Garabagh and Armenia].
The conflict between the two South Caucasus republics reared up in the
late 1980s due to Armenia`s territorial claims. Upper Garabagh has
been occupied by Armenia since a 1994 cease-fire ended hostilities
that killed an estimated 30,000 people and ousted about a million
Azerbaijanis out of their homes. Years of peace talks, brokered by US,
Russian and French mediators through the Minsk Group (MG), have
brought little tangible result.
Mammadov agrees with the MG co-chairs that Baku and Yerevan are close
to reaching agreement, but added that, at times, "a little detail
affects the entire settlement process."
"Certainly, Armenia wants the legal status of Upper Garabagh to be
developed during the initial stage. But the general consent and the
consent among the co-chairs is for all the seven districts around
Upper Garabagh to be freed first."
Mammadov emphasized that, according to Azerbaijan`s stance,
peacekeeping forces should not include servicemen from neighboring
states. "In our view, it would be good for the peacekeeping mission to
be comprised of the armed forces of European countries and the United
States."
As for the location of peacekeepers, it would be appropriate to
station them on the contact line between Upper Garabagh and the
adjacent districts.
Regarding ways of determining the region`s status, Mammadov stressed
that it should comply with Azerbaijan`s Constitution.
"The status issue will be resolved during the last stage [of the
conflict resolution], and discussions over this continue. So, we can`t
say anything specific to that end now," he said.
If the peace process proceeds successfully, railway links will open up
first. Along with that, local communications may be restored. Further,
the issue of opening roads may arise. Then, an air link may be
opened. "I believe that Armenia is primarily interested in opening the
railway, as it feels like being in a blockade, which it dragged itself
into," Mammadov added.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
