Lavrov’s expectations in Baku change to chagrin in Yerevan
By Fuad Aslanov
The long-standing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict came to focus following the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to the region. Among other topics, the minister discussed the ways to the protracted conflict in Baku and Yerevan.
Russia is one of the three co-chair states of the OSCE Minsk Group designed to resolve the conflict between two nations in the South Caucasus – Armenia and Azerbaijan. Russia is regarded as the most active co-chair of the Minsk Group, as the Russian president and FM have numerously held trilateral meetings with Azerbaijani and Armenian heads of state and foreign ministers in order to intensify the settlement of the conflict.
Now the question is how Lavrov’s visit to Azerbaijan and then to Armenia could contribute to moving forward in the conflict resolution.
Azerbaijan has numerously stated its extreme interest in an early settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Lavrov in Baku stated his country’s aspiration to help in every possible way to seek solutions and ensure the movement towards the settlement of the conflict.
Azerbaijan lost 20 percent of its internationally recognized territory as a result of the Armenian aggression in early 1990s. Baku still hopes for the peaceful resolution of the bloody conflict that killed over 20,000 Azerbaijanis and does not use military force against the occupiers settled in its territories. This is evidence that Azerbaijan does not want revival of scaly hostilities in the region and supports a peaceful settlement of the conflict. However, the baseless position of the Armenian side makes it impossible to make any agreement on the problem.
“Nobody is interested in the conflict,” Lavrov stated in Baku. While the Minsk Group co-chairs are making efforts towards ending the conflict peacefully and Azerbaijan meets these efforts, the Armenian authorities are unhappy with them.
This has a simple explanation: the Armenian government led by Serzh Sargsyan tries to preserve their power by no means. The current regime still rules the country only thanks to the existence and prolongation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. As soon as it is resolved, Sargsyan’s team will most likely leave their positions.
Being in Baku, Lavrov noted that a complete set of steps and measures required to move the settlement of the conflict from a dead point is on the negotiating table. Azerbaijani FM informed his Russian counterpart before his trip to Yerevan that there are options for solutions, which can help move the issue from the deadlock.
However, Lavrov had tune to pessimistic notes in Yerevan, apparently, again facing the groundless position of Armenia. At a joint press conference with Armenian FM he stated that he does not feel excessive optimism about the possibility of a quick settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Thus, Lavrov’s expectations in Baku changed to chagrin in Yerevan, thereby again making it clear which side of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the stumbling block on the road to its settlement.
Azerbaijan has many times stated that the status quo that Armenia tries to preserve in the occupied Azerbaijani lands for more than 20 years is unacceptable and unsustainable. First of all, Azerbaijan demands compliance with four resolutions (822, 853, 874 and 884) by UN Security Council, which demand immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
After this, the sides will be able to discuss the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. It is worth noting that Azerbaijan is ready to provide the Nagorno-Karabakh region with the highest level of autonomy within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. However, even this concession of Azerbaijan does not make Armenian authorities join serious and constructive talks on the conflict resolution. This demonstrates the genuine desire of Yerevan that implies remaining in Azerbaijani lands by maintaining the conflict forever. This, of course, is unacceptable and should be prevented as soon as possible. Now it is turn for Russia, as well as other co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, to help justice to win.
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