HULIQ.com, SC
May 8 2010
Carnegie Associate: Azerbaijan and Armenia Not Involving Societies for Peace
The peace negotiation process between Azerbaijan and Armenia over
Nagorno Karabakh is too narrow and the three societies are not
involved in public diplomacy to make the resolution faster and
swifter, says Thomas de Waal, senior associate of the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace in his email interview published in
the May 6 issue of World Politics Review.
Mister de Waal commenting on the current stage of the negotiating
process writes that the main issue is the status of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic. The updated version of the Madrid Principles, which
call for an eventual referendum on the international status of Nagorno
Karabakh are ambiguous. It is not clear when, where exactly and how
the referendum will take place.
For this very reason Armenia is holding back requesting clarity on
these questions. Just two days ago the Deputy Foreign Minister of
Armenia Mr. Shavarsh Kocharyan publicly stated that Armenia will be
ready to discuss Azerbaijan’s concerns when the latter is ready to
discuss the status of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.
Azerbaijan has refused and ruled out any type of resolution that will
open a door for Nagorno Karabakh’s independence. Armenia says
Azerbaijan fails to recognize the right of self-determination of the
people of Nagorno Karabakh.
The problem is that only the presidents of both countries and a small
group of advisers are involved in the negotiation process. However, it
should be noted that the president of Armenia Mr. Serzh Sargsyan has
occasionally informed all the political parties and the people about
the negotiation process and where things stand. Also, because Armenia
is considered a partly free country by the 2010 report of the Freedom
House, there is more public discussion on the subject than in
Azerbaijan. Freedom House considers Azerbaijan not a free country.
Thus, when the societies are not involved in the public diplomacy no
president can make hard decisions. Hard decisions mean a compromise. A
compromise to an enemy is seen a sign of weakness in this part of the
world.
For this very reason it is recommended that the governments of the
both countries give the public diplomacy a greater role to play in
bringing the societies closer to each other. Azerbaijan can take
measures such as opening the lines of communications and starting some
limited trade with Armenia. Both countries should encourage visits by
journalists, artists, musicians and performers to share each other’s
cultures with one another. One of the successful examples of these
mutual visits was the latest trip of the Catholicos of All Armenians
to Azerbaijan. One of the Archbishops accompanying him spoke highly of
the spiritual leader of Azerbaijan saying he left an impression of a
"good man." This type of a message sends a positive waves in both
countries about "the other."
Call to stop propaganda war
Today there was another constructive message sent to Armenian and
Azeri media from Nagorno Karabakh. The head of the Stepanakert’s Press
Organization Mr. Gegham Baghdasaryan called on the Armenian and Azeri
media to stop the propaganda war starting at 12:00 midnight on May 12.
He calls to refrain from making any publications that may insult the
honor or the self esteem of an entire nation or its representatives.
This will create a positive atmosphere where a compromise may be
possible to achieve.
Indeed, the media can take an important role in bringing the positions
of the two sides closer to each other. When we talk about asking
Armenia to withdraw from the adjustment territories of Nagorno
Karabakh, we also need to ask what is Azerbaijan ready to offer in
return. Is Turkey withdrawing from Cyprus with a solution?
If the answer is no, then why should Armenia withdraw? In return
Armenia has stated several times that it is ready to discuss questions
of mutual concern if Azerbaijan is ready to respect the right of
self-determination of the Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh’s
Republic.
Once the societies of the both sides and their newspapers start
thinking about "the other" side and showing certain appreciation of
their concerns then they will have more understanding when their
respected leaders offer them a proposed solution.
This is where the mediators could play a bigger role proposing
programs that would involve the societies of Armenia and Azerbaijan in
some type of public diplomacy. In the meanwhile, if Azerbaijan is not
ready to accept the right of self-determination of Nagorno Karabakh,
perhaps it can explain how it wants to bring the entire population of
Nagorno Karabakh under its control when it makes bi-monthly military
threats.
Written by Armen Hareyan
HULIQ.com
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress