Armenia prepares for sabotaging meeting on Karabakh conflict in NY
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 15
By Elmira Tariverdiyeva – Trend:
Armenia has already started collecting the arguments to sabotage the upcoming meeting on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Yerevan is already doing everything for no progress to be achieved at the meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers in New York in September.
Eduard Sharmazanov, spokesman for the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, made a statement following the party’s meeting, saying that the party does not expect anything special from the upcoming ministerial meeting.
Voicing such pessimistic expectations, for once, Yerevan is telling the truth. It is very difficult to achieve positive changes at the meeting with Armenia as the country is not interested in any progress.
However, the international community is concerned about the constant outbreak of violence between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Especially now it demands real progress from Armenia, rather than regular meetings to simulate the negotiation process. However, the Armenian authorities are trying to put the blame on Baku.
After mediators and international institutions stepped up diplomatic rhetoric about the need for progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, Yerevan became nervous.
Following the escalation of the situation on the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops in the Nagorno-Karabakh region in April 2016, it became obvious that the status quo, which is so vital to Armenia, is no longer acceptable. It is time for Azerbaijan and Armenia to take effective confidence-building measures.
Meanwhile, the mediators, namely the OSCE Minsk Group, are pinning their hopes on the upcoming meeting, as they repeatedly voiced the idea that after that meeting, Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers will succeed in organizing the talks at the level of presidents.
However, Yerevan expects nothing from this meeting. So does it make sense for the Azerbaijan side to meet with the Armenian side again?
Moreover, Baku has reiterated that it is ready only for substantive negotiations, that is, for negotiations, during which real actions contributing to the conflict settlement are to be discussed.
The issue is that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs have already prepared a "comprehensive document" on the conflict settlement that will be submitted to the ministers. The main message of the document is to search for a compromise that would allow first to reduce tension and create prerequisites for long-term peace in the region.
As the occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia is the essence of the conflict and the cause of constant tension, Armenia must be ready for constructive actions to find such a compromise. However according to the latest statements, it is impossible to expect this from Yerevan.
Today, it is obvious to everyone that the primary task is to begin de-occupation of Azerbaijani lands. Meanwhile, Armenia is fully pleased with the current state of the conflict.
Moreover, today Karabakh commanders, headed by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, have power until the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict exists.
Corrupt Armenian officials are not stupid enough to move out of Karabakh crisis because in this case they will lose power and, as a result, illicit financial flows.
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Elmira Tariverdiyeva is the head of Trend Agency’s Russian news service
