DAVID L. PHILLIPS: USING THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH PROBLEM AS POLITICAL TOOL HAS DONE ENOUGH HARM
T. Teymur

Today
771.html
Feb 3 2010
Azerbaijan

Interview with American expert, visiting scholar of Columbia
University, David Phillips.

The date of April 24th which is a "genocide" day for Armenians is
coming closer. Many believe there will be some activeness coming from
Turkey, concerning the protocol ratification. What, in your opinion,
may be happening on this date, or close to it?

The Protocols represent a bilateral agreement between Turkey and
Armenia. There is no linkage to Nagorno Karabakh. This was expressed
by Prime Minister Erdogan to President Obama when they met last April.

It was widely perceived last year that Turkey was heralding its
signing of the protocols to effect international recognition of the
Armenian genocide. I don’t think anyone will be interested in that
happening again.

The Constitutional Court of Armenia accepted the Ankara-Yerevan
protocols, but with some reservations. Turkey claims that the protocols
must proceed the way they first were presented. Now, how do you
assess the decision of Armenian court to change the protocols? Do
you believe that such course of events can actually damage the whole
ratification process?

Only opponents of the Protocols have identified differences between
the Constitutional Court’s decision and the text, as far as I am
aware. Even those perceived differences are not significant overall.

The United States joined with others in hailing the Court’s decision
as a necessary and positive step toward ratification. Inaction has
already been damaging and will ultimately undermine the historic
opportunity represented by the Protocols.

Media reports say the meeting of Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian
presidents in Sochi were positive. What, in your opinion, should be
expected next on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict issue?

It is important that both sides continue to meet at a high level and
work sincerely towards resolution. This impasse has gone on for too
long. Displaced Azeris should be able to return to their homes in the
provinces surrounding Karabakh and the international community should
do its part to create conditions of security and support rehabilitation
of communities affected by conflict. Continuing to use the issue as
a political tool has done enough harm. Constraints imposed on contact
and cooperation between civil society representatives also undermines
confidence building and progress.

There’s an expert opinion in Yerevan that the Armenian government is
not only not interested in actually doing something to resolve the
Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan, but is also unable to do it. How
can you comment on that? How true is it?

This perception is incorrect. The Armenian government has stated
both publicly and privately that they are willing and able to
solve the problem. Since the status quo isn’t in their interest,
there’s no reason to think otherwise. The United States is highly
motivated to make progress. It is working through the Minsk Group and
bilaterally with concerned government to resolve issues concerning
Nagorno-Karabakh. The Obama Administration has made clear its
commitment to multilateralism. The cooperation of other countries,
especially Russia, is essential.