ARMENIA HAS LONG AGREED TO RELEASE SEVEN OCCUPIED DISTRICTS OF AZERBAIJAN: POLITICAL ANALYST

Today
7748.html
Nov 25 2009
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with Azerbaijani political analyst Rasim Agayev.

– How do you assess the statements OSCE Minsk Group on the basis of
the Munich meeting of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan?

– Such statements must be treated with an extra dose of skepticism,
because the main part of the talks between Presidents is strictly a
one-on-one type talk, and co-chairs of the Minsk Group are satisfied
with only that information which they passed on the results of this
meeting. Fassier and other co-chairmen of OSCE Minsk Group, have been
doing this kind of optimistic statements before.

The fact that the presidents have been negotiating for four hours,
says that the heads of state were able to share enough information
and had raised a lot of questions. At the same time, we can assume
that the subject of the conversation were the 7 occupied regions
around the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh.

But the fact that the matter was referred to the foreign ministers
of Azerbaijan and Armenia, suggests that the degree of preparedness
on this issue is not high. Both ministers will have a lot of work,
so the presidents can have some new "food" for negotiations. Thus,
I think that Azerbaijan and Armenia are in the beginning, perhaps of
the final stage of negotiations.

– How do you comment on the panic publications of the Armenian press,
where they claim that the return of the 7 occupied areas is the
subject of negotiations?

– This question is quite real and decisive. On the table are 4
UN Security Council resolutions, in which you want to liberate the
occupied districts of Azerbaijan. In addition, all world powers support
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, which primarily involves the
liberation of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan by Armenia. In
addition, there is international practice, which dictates the Armenian
withdrawal from occupied territories. If Armenia is to delay this
step, it will face with indignation of the world community and even
the part that is sympathetic. This will cost a lot for Armenia.

Armenia has long agreed to release seven occupied districts of
Azerbaijan. Another thing is that it wants to present it not as an
obligatory step, but as a compromise in exchange for recognition
of the independence of the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh, to which
Azerbaijan will never agree.

– Do you think that Azerbaijan should become the initiator of the
reform of OSCE Minsk Group?

– It had to be done 3-5 years ago. Now, the situation is completely
different, and I think that changes in the composition of the OSCE
Minsk are not in the interests of Azerbaijan.

At this point in the region, new trends, which reject territorial
seizures. On the other hand, the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement will
inevitably affect relations between South Caucasian states. Also –
Armenian-Azerbaijani talks on the Karabakh issue are going in the
right direction for Baku. All this makes a change in the composition
of the OSCE Minsk at this time inappropriate.

– What, in your opinion, will be whether Armenia ratify the
Armenian-Turkish minutes before Turkey?

– I consider this kind of thing happening is quite possible.