STEPANAKERT (RFE/RL)–The failure of the latest international push for a Nagorno-Karabakh settlement has demonstrated that international mediators are interested in preserving the status quo, a spokesman for Karabakh President Bako Sahakian claimed on Friday.
The official, Davit Babayan, said the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s leadership did not expect Armenia’s and Azerbaijan’s presidents to cut any deals on the sidelines of this week’s OSCE summit in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana.
Babayan said Presidents Serzh Sarkisian and Ilham Aliyev failed to do that because the parties are still far apart on key issues and because the mediating powers — the United States, Russia and France — lack a “common approach” to the Karabakh conflict.
Babayan said that is why Aliyev and Sarkisian did not even meet on the sidelines of the summit. “What should they have talked about, if Aliyev claims that Armenia was created on Azerbaijani lands?” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian service.
“All this proves one thing: everyone is interested is maintaining the status quo, something which vividly manifested itself at Astana,” claimed the Karabakh official.
“Given that there could be unpredictable consequences as a result of any attempt to change the balance of forces, everyone is interested in maintaining what exists now. It is predictable, it is working. Why should we look for some other mechanisms?” he added.
Asked whether the no-war-no-peace situation is good for Karabakh, Babayan said, “We have no issues with Azerbaijan, but they do. If they want to settle those issues, they must first negotiate with us.”
Baku has long been refusing to directly negotiate with Karabakh’s leadership. Azerbaijani leaders say the historic Armenian territory is ruled by an “illegitimate regime” controlled by Armenia.
This statement is certainly correct: “We have no issues with Azerbaijan, but they do. If they want to settle those issues, they must first negotiate with us.”
OSCE is almost a dead body! Policy makers in Arstakh and Armenia should be prepared for a world without OSCE…
Predictable results. There’s not a lot of room here for the negotiators. The compromise approach has only one major possibility….. the Armenians “return” some of the buffer liberated area in exchange for a peace treaty recognizing Artsakh independence. This is the only chip we have to play and will never be utilized unless nothing less than full soveignty is on the table. Artsakh will never accept any of the options under the term “autonomy”. I believe that the 3 powers understand this but have to maintain a “balanced” approach otherwise they add no value as mediators. Unfortunately at times it empowers Aliyev to make his absurd rants because he knows that there are no short term miplications to his statements. Long term ,however, it will become increasingly clear to even the most neutral observer that their is only one solution… the return of Artsakh to the Armenians after a 90 years theft.
not a single square inch of our homeland is open to bargaining. only viable outcome is to liberate the rest of our homeland in stages! period.
If the world is wondering what would happen if we give democracy and the Western pholosophy to Afghanestan, they should look no further than Azerbaijan. This is a country Russia tried to civilise during the Soviet Era. And we can all see what a complete failiour it has been. A War mongring state whose only claim to being a state is by being anty Armenian. It has no basis. It has no self development program, it only exhists to attack Armenia. I feel sorry for this excuse of a country. With no past and no future. No my friend you can not force civilisation on people. They have to acquire it with a great deal of soul searching and thousands of years of history. There is hope for Turkey. After committing their most Barbaric act and failing to irradicate us. They learned a great deal and have taken some small steps twords civilisation. They are not there yet but have some hope of making it. It cost 80% of our population to get them those few tentative steps. Azerbaijan however has no hope. They will burn out before they make any reasonable step to civilisation. Azerbaijan has no future and will most likely be devided up if there is any majour conflict in the reagion.
International Mediators Only Interested in Status Quo, Says Karabakh Official
THAT IS – THEY HAVE NO SOLUTIONS – AND EVERY OTHER STEP THEY MAY TAKE – WILL INFLAME THE SITUATION.
I THINK THIS IS MORE A CEEPING THE STATUS QUO AND BALANCE OF POWER INTERNATIONALLY REGARDING THIS REGION,
THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
Arn.Sweden.
If Azerbaijan is not ready to move on in this case Armenia should act. Astana summit gave once again Armenia a unique chance and opportunity to recognize Nagorno Karabakh within its current borders.
Armenia and international community have reached a point in 1994, which Azerbaijani signed the cease fire with Artsakh defence Army. This is not the fault of Arstakh or Armenia. when Azerbaijani is not ready for peace. Azerbaijan was and is engaged for many reasons in a dirty and a fascistic anti Armenian propaganda war.. The dirty propaganda war gave Baku nothing; expect Azerbaijani society has become a bit more ill as it was…and finally in the last 16 years some so called “international expert “ on pay roll of Azerbaijani government got a bit richer by answering some “question” to Azerbaijan “media and journalist” ,where the answer was already embedded already in the questions itself…
Arstakh should make EU to know that this is not the 180x or 1915 or 1921 .. If they have something to say better to meet elected official in Stepanakert and discuss open issues, instead trying to invite Moscow to Brussels and act in a way as if Armenians living in there historic homeland of Arstakh/NKR had nothing to say !