On 14 November, the International Crisis Group (ICG) released one more report on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which says: " Azerbaijan and Armenia should stop arms race and military rhetoric, and should restore settlement process." Azerbaijani political scientist Rashad Rzaguliyev commented on the statement in his interview with Trend:
As a matter of fact, the International Crisis Group's statement on possible restoration of military operations between Azerbaijan and Armenia for final settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is undoubtedly not groundless.
The Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev repeatedly called restoration of military operations intended to liberate the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia to be an alternative to peaceful settlement which is impeded by Armenia. The President's position on this issue is a cumulated opinion of the entire Azerbaijani nation not regarding political, confessional, and ethnic groups. To restore territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country is a legal demand of each Azerbaijani citizen.
The way of settlement suggested by the ICG is questionable. Extrapolation of the ICG to international community in order to increase pressure upon the Armenian and Azerbaijani Governments and stating that military operations may damage Azerbaijan's oil and gas transport routes does not hold water.
Equalization of rules of aggressor and victim of aggression contradicts with all canons of international legal settlement of inter-state conflicts, and again reflects the level of professionalism of the ICG.
Unimportant figures in Armenia's political establishment very often talk about a threat to international energy transport mains running through Azerbaijan, which is likely to appear in case Azerbaijan launches military operations to liberate its territories from Armenian aggressors. The routes do not go via the conflict territory, and sabotage regarding international facilities will only contribute to calling Armenia a country supporting international terrorism. The ICG's calls to yield to blackmail of several terrorists which stuck in middle power groups of Armenia cause only bewilderment.
At the background of a real threat proceeding from large-scale military conflict likely to occur between the United States and Iran, escalation of a military conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh forecasted by the ICG seems just a childish game, if results and consequences for South Caucasus, Caspian region and entire Middle East are considered.