Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Despite the fact that more than 25 years have passed since emergence of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict over Armenia’s territorial claims against Azerbaijan, a solution to this long-lasting conflict still remains elusive.

The unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resembles a sleeping volcano, as it can erupt at any moment and intensify rapidly.

The escalation on the contact line of Armenian-Azerbaijani troops in recent days resulted in losses on both sides and is a clear sign that an urgent solution to the conflict is needed.

Though the conflict could cause a new war in the already sensitive South Caucasus region, the international community still demonstrates its negligence toward this dangerous problem.

Experts also warn that Armenia’s aggression is leading the entire Caucasus region toward a major conflict.

Malik Ayub Sumbal, a strategic expert on geopolitical and international conflicts and defense in the world, told the dailykarabakh website that the world should think about this conflict seriously to avoid any major confrontation in the near future.

He went on to say that the OSCE Minsk group, which is tasked with bringing a solution to the conflict, has not taken to finding a resolution to the conflict seriously for a long time.

“The recent so called ‘elections’ in Nagorno-Karabakh are a clear violation of the UN resolutions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” Sumbal said.

The international expert believes that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a threat to the stability of this entire region because the expectation of a conflict erupting increases every passing day.

“Armenia violates the ceasefire with Azerbaijan over 110 times within 24 hours and this attitude expresses the Armenian war craze in this region. In my opinion, if there will be a threat to peace in this region, it will be due to Nagorno-Karabakh,” Sumbal said.

The Armenian military continued to escalate tensions on the contact line of troops over the past several months breaking the ceasefire regime using large-caliber machine guns. The shelling of civilians by the Armenian military has put the lives of the residents of Azerbaijan’s frontline settlements at risk, resulting in casualties.

Sumbal also noted that Azerbaijan’s occupied and uncontrolled territories have become a safe haven for outlaws, terrorists and other extremists groups, presenting a security threat to the entire Caucasus region and its surroundings.

“In this whole region, there are organized gangs operating under the nose of the Armenian government, which has dramatized the so-called ‘elections’ in Nagorno-Karabakh,” the expert said.

The Azerbaijani government repeatedly informed international organizations and foreign countries over the illegal actions committed in the Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani territories.

The officials also repeatedly said Azerbaijan's occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region has turned into a regional center of drug production and trafficking.

The Azerbaijan National Anti-drugs Propaganda Office, acting within the framework of the UN Development Programme, said earlier there are facts provided by various sources about drug trafficking through Nagorno-Karabakh, an integral part of Azerbaijan, to neighboring Russia and Europe.

The authors of the research said drug trafficking in Nagorno-Karabakh brings enormous profits for Armenia, and the funds are spent on financing extremist forces, supporting armed groups and purchasing weapons.

The route of drug trafficking through the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh also stands in the way of the settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and adversely affects the security of the entire region.

Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions from Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced as a result of the war.

Large-scale hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire in 1994 but Armenia continued the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal.

Peace talks mediated by Russia, France and the U.S. have produced no results so far.

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Sara Rajabova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SaraRajabova

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