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MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS COMING TO 'SMASH WALL OF HOSTILITY.' SARKZOY TO MEDIATE?
epress.am
10.13.2011 15:16
The next meeting of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan
might be mediated by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, according
to Azerbaijani sources, who stated Wednesday that the suggestion
was made by the French state leader during his recent visit to the
region and discussed and approved by the US and Russian presidents,
reports Nezavisimaya Gazeta, noting, however, that Armenia's foreign
ministry categorically refuted the report: "Some strange things have
been coming from Azerbaijan in recent years."
Among those "strange things" is a report by the Azerbaijani news
agency ANS Press that a wall will be built along the Line of Contact
with Nagorno-Karabakh armed forces. The stone structure will stretch
nearly 3 kilometers, ANS Press reported, "to protect the inhabitants
of Azerbaijani villages from Armenian bullets."
Not the wall of stone but the wall of hostility between Armenians
and Azeris is what the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs once again will be
trying to break down by the end of October, writes Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
Second secretary of the security division of Azerbaijan's foreign
ministry Elcin Huseynli declared Tuesday that the OSCE Minsk Group
are creating opportunities to artificially delay the Karabakh conflict.
Huseynli lamented the close military and political ties between Armenia
and Russia, which "are the cause of instability in the region," and
accused Yerevan of not fulfilling its international obligations:
both the armed forces and the staff of Armenia's Internal Affairs
allegedly exceed the permissible limits set forth in international
treaties, which indicates that Armenia is preparing for war, while
"Azerbaijan is directing its acquired weapons toward protecting its
energy infrastructure."
Mikhail Alexandrov, deputy head of Caucasus Department of CIS Institute
, described Huseynli's statement as illogical. "It's odd to hear
Azerbaijan accusing Armenia of an arms race. It's Baku that provokes
this and parades its military budget. It's Baku that insists that a
military solution to the conflict is not ruled out. Azerbaijan, in
general, should review its position. In this country, people don't
live so well for it to go spending such money on arms," believes
the analyst.
"Conflict settlement is possibly only if both sides make compromises,
but Azerbaijan doesn't want to concede anything and blames the OSCE.
It wants everything to go back to how it was before the collapse
of the Soviet Union, which is impossible. Baku should recognize
Nagrono-Karabakh's independence in exchange for the seven regions
surrounding it: this option is still possible; otherwise, in 10 years
it might also become unrealizable," believes Alexandrov.
From: A. Papazian
epress.am
10.13.2011 15:16
The next meeting of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan
might be mediated by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, according
to Azerbaijani sources, who stated Wednesday that the suggestion
was made by the French state leader during his recent visit to the
region and discussed and approved by the US and Russian presidents,
reports Nezavisimaya Gazeta, noting, however, that Armenia's foreign
ministry categorically refuted the report: "Some strange things have
been coming from Azerbaijan in recent years."
Among those "strange things" is a report by the Azerbaijani news
agency ANS Press that a wall will be built along the Line of Contact
with Nagorno-Karabakh armed forces. The stone structure will stretch
nearly 3 kilometers, ANS Press reported, "to protect the inhabitants
of Azerbaijani villages from Armenian bullets."
Not the wall of stone but the wall of hostility between Armenians
and Azeris is what the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs once again will be
trying to break down by the end of October, writes Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
Second secretary of the security division of Azerbaijan's foreign
ministry Elcin Huseynli declared Tuesday that the OSCE Minsk Group
are creating opportunities to artificially delay the Karabakh conflict.
Huseynli lamented the close military and political ties between Armenia
and Russia, which "are the cause of instability in the region," and
accused Yerevan of not fulfilling its international obligations:
both the armed forces and the staff of Armenia's Internal Affairs
allegedly exceed the permissible limits set forth in international
treaties, which indicates that Armenia is preparing for war, while
"Azerbaijan is directing its acquired weapons toward protecting its
energy infrastructure."
Mikhail Alexandrov, deputy head of Caucasus Department of CIS Institute
, described Huseynli's statement as illogical. "It's odd to hear
Azerbaijan accusing Armenia of an arms race. It's Baku that provokes
this and parades its military budget. It's Baku that insists that a
military solution to the conflict is not ruled out. Azerbaijan, in
general, should review its position. In this country, people don't
live so well for it to go spending such money on arms," believes
the analyst.
"Conflict settlement is possibly only if both sides make compromises,
but Azerbaijan doesn't want to concede anything and blames the OSCE.
It wants everything to go back to how it was before the collapse
of the Soviet Union, which is impossible. Baku should recognize
Nagrono-Karabakh's independence in exchange for the seven regions
surrounding it: this option is still possible; otherwise, in 10 years
it might also become unrealizable," believes Alexandrov.
From: A. Papazian