ARE WE READY TO THE NEW ROUND OF PEACE PROCESS ON KARABAKH?
Taking into consideration the latest information, official Baku has come decision to make cardinal changes in its policy on Nagorno-Karabakh. Evidently, Azerbaijani authorities have given up the principle of "no relations with the Enemy" and started encouraging contacts between various layers of the Armenian and Azerbaijani societies. By now meetings between representatives of the two countries were limited with a small number of people who considered the peace settlement of the conflict the main task of their life. Such people were mainly considered renegades in Azerbaijan (mostly opposition politicians), the meeting took place on the territories of neutral states, as Baku worked hard to prevent them.
Before speaking of the main topic, it would be appropriate to note that the June 28-29 visit of the Armenian-Azerbaijani delegation of intellectuals to Armenia, Karabakh and Azerbaijan was an important victory of good will. The Armenian side always stood for holding such kind of meetings, considering them an opportunity of reducing the tensions. All the foreign forces, including the OSCE and individual states, have also always supported that idea. That is why the PACE 1416 resolution was adopted on June 25, 2005. In the meanwhile Azerbaijani officials continually declared that cooperating with their "Enemy" would be as "beneficial" as the opening of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Only one event in the recent history of Armenia could be matched with this. That is Turkey's blockade of Armenia. Thus, when in April 1993 Kelbacar (Qaravajar) was taken by the Armenian armed forces, Turkey announced complete blockade of its border with Armenia. A year after, without any step backwards on Armenia's part, Turkey abolished its restriction on crossing its air space, and air communication between Armenia and Turkey has been active and rather intensive ever since.
In fact, we are witnessing a kind of mitigation of blockade on Azerbaijan's part, and again it took place without any cessation by the Armenian side. Nevertheless, even having this evident victory of good will, we should perceive it as a matter of little effect on the progress of the peace process or even on strengthening the regime of armistice between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This psychological victory will be of more use for both the sides if we can surmount new challenges suggested by the so-called victory itself.
Indeed, the new circumstances (if Azerbaijan is not to repent of the new course it has taken) bring forth new problems for us, Armenians.
The meeting of the delegations of the Armenian and Azerbaijani intellectuals proved the following: first, Baku has permitted contacts with Armenia to at least one group of its citizens - the intellectuals; second, citizens of Azerbaijan were permitted not only to converse with Armenians, but also visit Stepanakert (the delegation crossed the border between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan due to the personal interference of A. Casprszyk). This circumstances imply de-facto recognition of the state authorities of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, but still there is no warranty that Azerbaijan is still to proceed in this way.
Here are the possible further actions of Azerbaijan, as we tried to figure them out.
Social contacts. Baku may: a) be content with that single meeting, b) permit new meetings approximately in the same format, c) permit meetings between other social groups (and even the incredible - permit contacts between businessmen), d) permit meetings of statesmen (at present meetings of no officials except Foreign Ministers and the Presidents are allowed), e) permit contacts between citizens of the bordering regions.
Meeting Places. Baku can consider appropriate meetings in: a) neutral foreign states only, b) Yerevan and Baku, c) other places in Armenia and Azerbaijan, d) the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh also.
In all cases the representatives of Armenia will face a number of problems. The aim of official Baku has always been, and shall be, achieving the recognition of Karabakh as an inseparable part of Azerbaijan. Of course, the new format of dialogue between the Armenian and Azerbaijani side shall become a new tool of implementing this policy.
It's clear that the Armenian participants of the future meetings will have quite complicated problems no matter which of these variants is applied. The aim of the official Baku is to apply another tool to attain its final goal that is to prove that Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan both to Azerbaijan itself and to Armenia and the international community. It's well known that the Azeri propaganda machine already actively works in this path and this new situation will help to touch upon the interests of Azerbaijan at new, open and more authority instances. The Armenian side should always be ready for unexpected and frequently groundless statements of Azerbaijan. Thus, they can make groundless statements in most inconvenient situations, for instance in cases of meetings of doctors, sportsmen, etc.
Our relevant experts should give concrete answers to concrete questions. Till now they have ignored the nonsense that the Azeries spread about the historical past of Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia. But at present such approaches should not be applied any longer, as the abovementioned groundless statements are being constantly made during joint meetings, including those in Yerevan. Our experts should give equivalent and grounded answers to them.
Moreover, one should always remember that the Azeri side is first of all touching upon the issue of Nagorno Karabakh during these meetings. In this case, the Armenian side should increase the mutual trust and lessen the tension by means of these very bilateral meetings. We should never answer the statements of the Azeries as hysterically as they make them. The Armenian side should respond their accusations calmly, patiently, suggesting cooperation and dialogue in many other issues instead of extremist statements. We'd better shape a special body (for instance at RA Foreign Ministry) that would elaborate relevant strategy and instructions for the participants of various meetings.
As for the probable meetings, the information that we have at present allow to expect that from the aspect of both people and places of the meeting, we will have the versions of the abovementioned "B" point, i.e. similar meetings in Yerevan and Baku. The sides may discuss the issues concerning the historical monuments, ecology and healthcare. It's seems to me that we will hardly have any new meetings in Artsakh, as this will mean that the Azeri authorities have certain relations with Artsakh and recognize its independence de facto. But if such meetings take place, this will mean that the Nagorno Karabakh authorities will need more assistance, as their human resources are more limited than those of Armenia.
- By Haroutiun Khachatrian
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- 1864 Birth of satirist Harootyoon Alpiar. He died in 1919.
- 1923 Creation of the Bureau of History of the Communist Party of Armenia as an adjunct to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Armenia.
- 1924 Under the initiative of the Norwegian scholar Friedthof Nansen, the League of Nations decides to grant Nansen Passports to the Armenians who had survived the Armenian Genocide.
- 1933 Death of the writer Nar-Dos (Meekael Hovhannissyan) in Tbilissi (Georgia). He was born in 1867.
- 1934 First issue of the "Communist" newspaper (property of the Central Committee of Armenia's Communist Party, Yerevan's City Committee, and the Central Executive Committee of the Armenian SSR).
- 1938 Opening of the first session of the Armenian SSR Supreme Soviet's first convention.
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