MUBARIZ AHMEDOGHLU: "IN CASE HOSTILITIES IN NAGORNO KARABAKH ARE LAUNCHED, IRAN WILL ANYWAY SUPPORT ARMENIA, NOT AZERBAIJAN"
Today.Az
June 24 2008
Azerbaijan
Day.Az interview with Mubariz Ahmedoghlu, chief of the Center for
political innovations and technologies.
– How would you comment on the announcement of spokesman for
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Khazar Ibrahim that if Iran sends correct
messages to Armenia, it will contribute to resolution of the Karabakh
conflict?
– First of all, it is necessary to understand how prospects
of Azerbaijani-Iranian relations development are assessed in
Armenia. They consider that Iran declares interest in the strengthening
and development of our country only verbally, not wishing it and
restoration of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in reality. Such
spirits of official Yerevan are transformed into the agreement they
voice on the mediatory mission of Iran in the negotiation process on
the resolution of Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
Azerbaijan is also aware of the current quo status. Therefore, Khazar
Ibrahim’s words, who declared in open that Azerbaijan is ready to
hear definite mediatory initiatives of Iran on the resolution of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, were not surprising. Naturally, Iran’s
all initiatives should base on recognition of territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan, which will allow Armenia to understand the vanity and
erroneousness of its stake on Iran.
This will allow us to demonstrate readiness for cooperation with any
countries, which propose their mediatory mission in the resolution of
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, gives another chance to declare priority of
right for territorial integrity of the states over the right of nations
for self-determination, create conditions for the visual demonstration
to Armenia that their stake on Iran has not been justified.
– Meanwhile, proposals of the need to involve Iran as one of the
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are becoming frequent. How do you assess
these initiatives?
– They are unreal, as Iran is not the OSCE member-state and can not
co-chair the OSCE Minsk Group. However, Iran may propose definite
mediatory initiatives on the ways of resolution of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. But it seems to me that here the Minsk Group will not allow
Iran to propose too many initiatives.
– How sincere is Armenia in its voiced agreement with mediatory
mission of Iran on the negotiation process on the resolution of
Nagorno Karabakh conflict?
– This is an urgent issue to answer to which it would be enough to look
through our recent history. I mean the events of May, 1992, when the
then-president of Armenian Levon Ter-Petrosyan and acting President of
Azerbaijan Yaqub Mamedov left for Tehran for talks on the resolution
of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The then working Iranian authorities,
who undertook the mission of mediators, assured the Azerbaijani
leadership of that Armenia will not launch any hostilities, but even
before the completion of talks Armenians attacked Shusha and occupied
this "pearl of Azerbaijan". As is seen, Armenians by Russia’s help
caused significant damage on Iran’s image in the eyes of Azerbaijan
and prevented conduction of Iranian mediatory initiatives, whose
implementation could result in sharp rise of Iranian influence in
the region.
Armenia’s actions are a more eloquent answer to the question
on sincerity of official Yerevan in the issue of approval of the
mediatory mission of Iran in the negotiation process on the resolution
of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.