Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

A political expert believes that the time is ripe for bringing the long-lasing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to West’s attention.

“Given the geopolitical developments in the region, it’s now a good time to draw the attention of the west to Nagorno-Karabakh issue,” said Ziba Norman, Director of the British Transatlantic and Caucasus Studies Institute.

She said the journalists need here is an introduction, or re-introduction, to the situation.

“Now, on the eve of the Khojaly Massacre anniversary and couple of the events in Crimea, it is an excellent moment to highlight the facts about them. In short, the event can gain attention if it is linked to other geopolitical trends,” Norman told Trend.

She also said a new approach is needed to highlight the facts regarding this issue. “In all areas we see double standards in operation. Looking at the significance of the Armenian lobby will only explain half of the problem. What is needed here is a new approach to highlighting the facts,” Norman said.

She further said the U.S. and EU are distracted by major events on their doorstep. Norman went on to add that if they can be brought to understand the relationship between the frozen conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh and how it relates to their immediate and pressing concerns, then the political will necessary to shift the dialogue could actually be created.

“Thus the fact that they’re distracted by other concerns may make this an opportune moment to get attention. So, the very reason why Nagorno-Karabakh is being ignored can be used as bait to reopen the debate in a new way,” Norman said.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in the early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions.Long-standing efforts by U.S, Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.

Norman went on to note that the issue is really urgent, as violence on the line of contact between two sides is rising.

“At a time of genuine hostility between Russia and the West, and especially because of sanctions imposed on Russia, the security of the BTC must be taken seriously. It must be made clear that the settlement of the conflict should be seen as a priority,” she said.

The expert also added that one of the most basic problems regarding Nagorno-Karabakh is the lack of public awareness about it.

“There is very little coverage in our media, so the true dynamics of the situation, the importance of the region for both the U.S. and EU tends to be underestimated,” she said.

In an attempt to address the issue, Norman suggested to launch a project including a series of meetings between experts and publication of books in London, Brussels, Baku and maybe Istanbul.

She said these publications should present all facts in an unbiased manner, together with scenarios of possible futures for the region, depending on which course of action is followed.

She added there are certain methods for dealing with this type of scenarios. “The aim is to show why Nagorno-Karabakh cannot be left in a limbo,” Norman said.

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

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