Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 5
By Elmira Tariverdiyeva - Trend:
Unfortunately, only after the next wave of tensions on the contact line of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops and after new casualties, PACE gave a fair assessment of the situation regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
In its draft resolution on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, PACE urged Armenian armed forces to withdraw from Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
Events have finally been called by their correct names, and the occupying country and real instigator - Armenia - has been recognized as the reason behind this unfrozen conflict.
It should be noted that Armenia is so unaccustomed to being fairly accused of the occupation, which has continued for over 20 years, that it immediately began to accuse the entire world of being in a conspiracy with Azerbaijan.
However, the occupation of seven Azerbaijani districts and the separatist region of Azerbaijan is, as well, a reality recognized by Armenians, themselves. Then why does the PACE draft resolution look so unexpected and offensive to Yerevan? World powers and international institutions throughout many years have, only rarely, (for whatever reason) accused Armenia of its real sins, which led to the blatant impunity of Armenian occupiers.
But in order for the conflict to be resolved, or at least to come closer to its resolution, it is necessary for all world powers and international institutions to not just accuse Armenia, but make the country take real action. Thus, it is necessary that the calls for ending the occupation of Azerbaijani lands must lead to the actual withdrawal of Armenian troops from Azerbaijani territories.
There is an example of four UN resolutions demanding immediate withdrawal of Armenian troops from Azerbaijan's occupied territories, which only remain as documents, since Yerevan has never been made to pay for ignoring them.
Seeing its impunity, Armenia will continue its illegal actions and ignore calls for the withdrawal of its troops, thus, knowingly provoke Azerbaijan to respond, and thereby prolonging the conflict.
Today, the international community should not only recognize the fact of the occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia, but also make every effort to restrain Yerevan from its actions contradicting international law. There are many tools for this - pressure, sanctions and even those involving international military forces.
Hopefully, the PACE resolution, which is likely to be adopted in early 2016, will become a starting point for the world to prevent the conflict from not just simmering, but escalating throughout the Caspian Sea region.
