NAGORNO-KARABAKH NEGOTIATIONS FOCUS ON RETURN OF PART OF OCCUPIED LANDS AT CURRENT STAGE: AZERBAIJANI MP
Today
Nov 30 2009
Azerbaijan
Day.Az interview with member of ruling New Azerbaijan Party Political
Council, deputy chairman of Parliamentary Committee for Security and
Defense Aydin Mirzazade.
Day.Az: Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan voiced a number of
statements at the 12th congress of the ruling Republican Party of
Armenia (RPA). How do you comment on his words: "I have no reason
to vindicate myself. Let those who had a goal to cede Karabakh to
vindicate themselves" ?
Aydin Mirzazade: This is another statement by the Armenian president
meant solely for domestic audience. The reason for such statements
is that Serge Sargsyan feels a strong pressure from various Armenian
opposition parties and movements.
His attempts to position himself as a confident politician is not
effective, because not only citizens of this country, but also people
outside the country is aware of the real state of affairs in Armenia.
The Armenian president does not enjoy support of overwhelming
majority of the country’s citizens. He took power through blood and
falsifications. Now he is trying to "whitewash" himself in front of
the West in all possible ways.
Sargsyan’s position is also understandable. Armenia lives in
self-imposed isolation because of the occupation of 20 percent of
Azerbaijani territories that has led to collapse of the country’s
economy. These problems are growing very rapidly threatening loss of
statehood. But the most interesting and sad for Armenia is that those
who criticize President Sargsyan and to whom the Armenian president
addressed his statement have no real program to address the problems
facing the country.
This most clearly indicates that there is no alternative to liberating
Armenian-occupied territories of Azerbaijan as the only possible way
out of that terrible crisis whatever statements various political
figures in Armenia make.
Q: The Armenian leader said his RPA party has three tasks: to
develop Armenia, to normalize Armenia-Turkey ties and resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Do the first two tasks suggest that the
Armenian parliament will ratify the protocols?
A: I think Armenia faces a task comparable to looking for squaring the
circle. Most likely, Armenia will wait until the Turkish parliament
ratifies the protocol. I believe Armenian has already understood that
Turkish parliament will not ratify protocols without a just resolution
to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The development of Armenia about which Sargsyan so beautifully
reasoned will remain only desire and slogan. The Armenian government
needs to switch from slogans to concrete steps to fairly resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in order save Armenia from self-imposed
isolation.
Q: Do you believe Armenian may take such a step during the next round
of talks between Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents?
A: Whatever the Armenian leadership says, return of at least part of
the occupied territories of Azerbaijan are already being negotiated at
current stage. Furthermore, despite Armenia’s constant unconstructive
position, the negotiations have seen some progress. In other words, if
Armenia demonstrates a constructive and common sense, the negotiations
on a just settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict may bear results soon.
I think that the very reality (deepening economic crisis, regular
tension in Armenia’s relations with all its neighbors against backdrop
of increasing economic growth and geopolitical influence of Azerbaijan)
makes even the most radical ultranationalist forces in Armenia to
take a sober view of things.