Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 3 / Trend /
Mubariz Ahmedoglu, director of the Center for Political Innovations and Technologies, political scientist
During his visit to Lebanon at a meeting with Armenians at Haykazyan University Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, said his principles on settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remain unchanged.
Also in the interview, given to the Italian press, he called the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict an "unacceptable condition."
This indicates that Sargsyan is not seeking settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Speaking on the right of free movement in Europe, Sargsyan banned the entry of Azerbaijanis in Nagorno-Karabakh. Considering economic ties important for solving regional conflicts, it appears that Sargsyan cannot even imagine the discussion of economic cooperation issues and implementation of pilot projects on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The behavior of OSCE Minsk Group co chairs further reinforces Sargsyan's position. It seems like they are asking permission from Armenia while developing particular projects. In any case, the mediators could develop draft of a peace agreement and present it to the public.
The use of Khankendi / Stepanakert terms has long become outdated in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Implementation of such principles as 'consensus minus one' and 'consensus minus two' had to be included in agenda during making decisions long ago. Whoever is responsible for the unsettled Nagorno-Karabakh conflict-Sargsyan or other intermediaries-they must identify this themselves. If the status of Nagorno-Karabakh will be determined by the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, it should be formed.
Not allowing a dialogue between the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of Nagorno-Karabakh, Sargsyan prevents the formation of a mechanism to determine its status. Armenia should present mechanisms for implementation of all proposed or supported proposals. If the proposal on the withdrawal of snipers from the contact line or other suggestions are not implemented, a working group consisting of Armenians and Azerbaijanis on Nagorno-Karabakh should be created to improve the adoption of these proposals. This working group, which has to operate on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, can be defined by the type and sequence of confidence-building measures which will be used.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. - are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.