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GORDIAN KNOT OF KARABAKH PROBLEM
Trend
June 8 2012
Azerbaijan
On the eve of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to
the region, the situation on the contact line between Armenian and
Azerbaijani troops became strained. As a result of a sabotage attack
committed by the Armenian army on June 5 at the Azerbaijani post
in the north-west of the country, Azerbaijani armed forces suffered
losses with the killing under gunfire of five Azerbaijani soldiers.
The enemy also suffered when the assailants were killed and wounded.
Recent developments on the front-line once again prove that the
conflict has not come to an end, but gradually increases to become
large scaled turning the whole situation into a bigger problem which
becomes harder and harder to be solved. And the longer the current
situation remains, the more both sides suffer losses of young soldiers
resulting in their families facing misfortune.
What is the solution? Seek ways to liberate lands, use the existing
situation, or, as the last way out, choose a military solution to
the conflict? To do this, international organisations should exert
pressure on Armenia.
It is necessary to return the occupied territories of Azerbaijan
and withdraw the Armenian army from there. But how? In the present
situation one can conclude that the United States, Russia and the EU,
which should exert pressure on Armenia, should want it.
The fact that this conflict began 25 years ago and is not still
resolved first led to the fact that Europeans forgot about it. One
can say that all the local conflicts that occurred in Europe have
been partially, or completely resolved.
Secondly, it is difficult to imagine that a strong Armenian diaspora
will agree to such a solution to the conflict. On the other hand
recognition of the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh or loss of these
territories is a condition unacceptable for the Azerbaijani side.
No one will exert pressure on Azerbaijan and even in the case
of exerting it, no one can explain it. The OSCE mission meets and
recommends that the problem should be solved peacefully. The special
role of Russia and other members of the Minsk Group - France and the
United States in resolving this conflict means turning into a major
participant in a strategically important region.
So, Azerbaijan is the only country that tries to change the status quo
and resolve the conflict, the country that is interested in it. It is
impossible to imagine otherwise. Although Russia wants to benefit from
both sides, it chose Armenia as a historical and constant ally. One
can say that without the Russians the Armenians would not have been
able to establish their own state. On the other hand, the Russians do
not think of interrupting their relations with Azerbaijan because of
Nagorno-Karabakh, as Azerbaijan may supply its gas and oil to Europe
and bypass Russia by alternative routes. The country has turned into
a giant power in the Caspian region. It is a state that pursues its
independent energy policy and at the same time has a joint transport
corridor with Turkey, which is a NATO member and with which Azerbaijan
has a comprehensive relationship.
Thus one can conclude that it is impossible to put pressure on
Azerbaijan by force and sooner or later compromise should be found and
this 'knot' should be untied taking into account national interests,
thanks to mutual concessions and achieving the peace. Otherwise,
the daily press and television news will continue to report on human
losses from both sides.
Trend
June 8 2012
Azerbaijan
On the eve of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to
the region, the situation on the contact line between Armenian and
Azerbaijani troops became strained. As a result of a sabotage attack
committed by the Armenian army on June 5 at the Azerbaijani post
in the north-west of the country, Azerbaijani armed forces suffered
losses with the killing under gunfire of five Azerbaijani soldiers.
The enemy also suffered when the assailants were killed and wounded.
Recent developments on the front-line once again prove that the
conflict has not come to an end, but gradually increases to become
large scaled turning the whole situation into a bigger problem which
becomes harder and harder to be solved. And the longer the current
situation remains, the more both sides suffer losses of young soldiers
resulting in their families facing misfortune.
What is the solution? Seek ways to liberate lands, use the existing
situation, or, as the last way out, choose a military solution to
the conflict? To do this, international organisations should exert
pressure on Armenia.
It is necessary to return the occupied territories of Azerbaijan
and withdraw the Armenian army from there. But how? In the present
situation one can conclude that the United States, Russia and the EU,
which should exert pressure on Armenia, should want it.
The fact that this conflict began 25 years ago and is not still
resolved first led to the fact that Europeans forgot about it. One
can say that all the local conflicts that occurred in Europe have
been partially, or completely resolved.
Secondly, it is difficult to imagine that a strong Armenian diaspora
will agree to such a solution to the conflict. On the other hand
recognition of the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh or loss of these
territories is a condition unacceptable for the Azerbaijani side.
No one will exert pressure on Azerbaijan and even in the case
of exerting it, no one can explain it. The OSCE mission meets and
recommends that the problem should be solved peacefully. The special
role of Russia and other members of the Minsk Group - France and the
United States in resolving this conflict means turning into a major
participant in a strategically important region.
So, Azerbaijan is the only country that tries to change the status quo
and resolve the conflict, the country that is interested in it. It is
impossible to imagine otherwise. Although Russia wants to benefit from
both sides, it chose Armenia as a historical and constant ally. One
can say that without the Russians the Armenians would not have been
able to establish their own state. On the other hand, the Russians do
not think of interrupting their relations with Azerbaijan because of
Nagorno-Karabakh, as Azerbaijan may supply its gas and oil to Europe
and bypass Russia by alternative routes. The country has turned into
a giant power in the Caspian region. It is a state that pursues its
independent energy policy and at the same time has a joint transport
corridor with Turkey, which is a NATO member and with which Azerbaijan
has a comprehensive relationship.
Thus one can conclude that it is impossible to put pressure on
Azerbaijan by force and sooner or later compromise should be found and
this 'knot' should be untied taking into account national interests,
thanks to mutual concessions and achieving the peace. Otherwise,
the daily press and television news will continue to report on human
losses from both sides.