ARMENIA CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO FRUSTRATE TALKS – AZERBAJIANI MP

news.az
Feb 16 2010
Azerbaijan

Asim Mollazade News.Az interviews Azerbaijani MP Asim Mollazade,
leader of the Democratic Reforms Party.

You met Kanat Saudabayev, the OSCE chairman-in-office and Kazakh
foreign minister, in Baku yesterday. What was your impression of
the meeting?

It is positive that for the first time a post-Soviet country has
taken chairmanship of such an important European organization. I
voiced the hope that Kazakhstan, as a regional country well versed in
our problems, would be able to promote the resolution of the Karabakh
conflict during its chairmanship of the OSCE. I voiced the resentment
of the Azerbaijani public at the work of the OSCE Minsk Group which
in many years has failed to attain any breakthrough. In addition, the
Minsk Group is conducting a policy of legal nihilism. The situation
is paradoxical. Armenia is violating basic laws and OSCE documents,
has occupied land and does not recognize the territorial integrity of
an OSCE member-state, while the OSCE does not have a single document
that condemns this fact.

This must be the wrong approach and it is the cause of failure in the
negotiating process. Today Azerbaijan seriously doubts the capacities
of the international organizations: the UN is unable to ensure
the execution of the resolutions of its Security Council, the OSCE
supports Armenia’s pretence at negotiating and hundreds of thousands
of Azerbaijanis today are the basis of a humanitarian disaster in
Europe as displaced persons and refugees. I also recalled at the
meeting that the OSCE has not assessed the legal crimes on Azerbaijani
territory. We also spoke about the improvement of our election system,
the development of human rights and the mass media. These were the main
issues discussed. In turn, Saudabayev gave assurances that Kazakhstan
would take active steps and try to do everything possible to promote
the conflict settlement. But he said that much depends on the parties
and this phrase alerted me. If everything depended on the parties,
there would have not been the need for either peacekeeping activity
or mediation.

Considering that Karabakh is close to us, does it have any additional
capacity to help a resolution?

The resolutions in the OSCE are taken on the basis of consensus.

Therefore, the potential of the organization is limited. But
Kazakhstan could at least initiate the process to recognize facts
and realities. The definition that should be presented to the world
community is very important for Azerbaijan today: our territory is
occupied and Armenia is an aggressor. Armenia must be condemned by
the world community for this. We do not expect Kazakhstan to fight
in our place and liberate our lands, but the fact must be recognized
by the world community and we expect Kazakhstan to promote this.

The OSCE chairpersons-in-office visit our region every year but no
progress has been made on resolution of the conflict. Do you think
this chairmanship will differ from previous ones?

I do not think there will be any serious revolutionary progress, but at
least I hope the Kazakh chairmanship will understand that Azerbaijan’s
patience is not limitless. The fact that the Azerbaijani public is
today concerned about the situation will probably be important both for
the chairman-in-office and for other member-states of the organization.

Baku has declared today that the updated basic principles of the
settlement are acceptable, while the Armenian side has not yet voiced
its position on them. What if the Armenian side takes a negative
position on them?

We think that if Armenia continues to impede the peace process, the
international organizations must have their say. Otherwise, if they
are unable to condemn the aggressor, the role of these international
organizations becomes just ridiculous. Why then do we need their
mediation and peacekeeping efforts?

May Armenia’s rejection of the updated principles lead to the
resumption of hostilities by Azerbaijan in order to liberate its land?

Azerbaijan always reserves this right. But we want to inform the
world community that it is abnormal when an aggressor is not seriously
condemned by the international organizations. And I think Azerbaijan
has been waiting patiently for many years and if Armenia frustrates the
process again today, I do not think continuation of the negotiations
is expedient.

Leyla Tagiyeva News.Az