OSCE MEDIATORS NOT INTERESTED IN FAIR SOLUTION TO KARABAKH CONFLICT – AZERI MP
Tamilla Sencaply

news.az
Jan 19 2010
Azerbaijan

Gudrat Hasanguliyev News.Az interviews Gudrat Hasanguliyev, chairman of
the United Popular Front of Azerbaijan Party and a Milli Majlis deputy.

Robert Bradtke, US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, mediating a
settlement to the Karabakh conflict, has said that the presidents of
Azerbaijan and Armenia may meet by the end of the week, according to
the Armenian press. What role do you think this meeting will play in
settling the Karabakh conflict?

This is a usual meeting. Our lands were occupied by Armenia and
we have already set out the terms on which Azerbaijan may make
concessions. Azerbaijan has already done a great deal, though Russia
is actively supporting Armenia. Russia should also declare its position
on which it is ready to make concessions.

We must liberate our lands either through war or peacefully. The world
community has taken a laissez-faire attitude, so Azerbaijan is left
alone to face Russia and Armenia. Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan’s
latest visit to Moscow also showed that Russia is interested in
preserving the conflict and France has the same position due to
the large Armenian diaspora. Meanwhile, Turkey does not have the
opportunity to provide the necessary support to us.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan is visiting Moscow. What connection
does this visit have with the next meeting of the presidents?

Sargsyan’s visit to Moscow will not have any influence on the next
meeting of the presidents. The Armenian president will probably be
warned against doing anything wilful. This is the main aim.

I think if Russia’s interests are not considered on the Karabakh issue
or Azerbaijan does not decide to settle the issue by force, neither
Russia nor any other country will take steps to settle the Karabakh
conflict within the framework of territorial integrity and justice.

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are also expected to visit the region
this week. How do you assess the co-chairs’ role in the conflict
settlement?

I don’t think any country chairing the OSCE Minsk Group (the USA,
Russia and France) is interested in a fair solution to the Karabakh
conflict. France and the United States would like the conflict
solution to meet Armenian interests, but I think Russia does not
want the conflict to be settled in the Armenians’ favour as it has
its own interests.

The next visit of the co-chairs is no different from previous ones
and constitutes a kind of pressure on Azerbaijan to make concessions
and permit a referendum in Nagorno-Karabakh which will legally mean
the secession of this territory from Azerbaijan. I do not expect
anything from this visit.

As for Armenia, it is closely watching the processes in the Karabakh
conflict settlement. The latest event – ratification of the protocols
on rapprochement with Turkey in the Constitutional Court – has resulted
in mass protests in the country. This shows that there is a need to
take peoples’ interests into account too.

Do you think there might be progress on the Karabakh conflict
settlement in 2010?

If you mean a just solution to the Karabakh conflict, I do not think
that Russia, the USA or France will take definite action. As for a
military settlement of the conflict, this is the most realistic.