İnterview with Azerbaijani political expert Fikrat Sadigov.
– Is intensification of the Armenian-Azerbaijani meetings on resolution of the Karabakh conflict linked with intensified efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group or there is a real document for discussions on the table?
F.S. – The OSCE Minsk Group has become a group of observers rather than mediators. They only arrange a meeting venue and agenda is prepared by the Heads of State.
The MG activities have a certain formality. It seeks a legal balance with two sides whose views on settlement of the Karabakh conflict are not equal under international law. Baku’s position is much stronger than that of Yerevan. If to take principles of international law as basis, and it is high time to dot “i’s” and cross “t’s” and call Armenia an aggressor.
The MG has been formal since its inception, so I think that it was created in order to prevent Azerbaijan from recovering its lands by military means. Meantime, Azerbaijan’s maximum compromise is that it agrees on the initial return of the seven regions by Armenia, and then to discuss the status of Karabakh.
In fact, at the very beginning the OSCE Minsk Group supported Azerbaijan, and then began to overly balance the two conflicting countries.
Q: May format of the OSCE MG be changed?
A: I think it is possible. It is high time to replace France with England or Germany. Turkey also offers mediation services. I propose to extend the OSCE Minsk by two or three countries. To do this Minsk Group needs to convene a second conference of representatives of all OSCE Minsk Group countries, where changes to the MG format can be proposed.
I think that Azerbaijan should initiate this conference and should not be ashamed of anything in this respect.
Q: Is an agreement on return of Azerbaijan’s five or seven regions likely to be signed soon?
A: I remember the statement by co-chairs Matthew Bryza and Yuri Merzlyakov who stated that Azerbaijan’s five regions will be returned in the first stage of the settlement of the Karabakh conflict by the end of this year. Another two regions of Azerbaijan (Kalbajar and Lachin) were to be demilitarized in the second stage and international peacekeeping force was to be deployed there.
Q: To what extent Azerbaijan’s stance on Karabakh issue has changed following signing of the Armenia-Turkey protocols in Zurich?
A: The signing of the protocols in Zurich distracted world attention from the Karabakh conflict and liberation of the five occupied regions by Armenia. This strengthened Armenia’s stance. Therefore negative reaction of the Azerbaijani public and leadership on these protocols is understandable.
/Day.Az/
