Armenia to get access to regional projects only after de-occupation of Karabakh
By Rashid Shirinov
If the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is resolved, Armenia may have the opportunity to join projects implemented in the region with the participation of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Russia, the well-known Turkish expert, head of the Ankara Institute of Study of Russia, PhD Salih Yılmaz told Day.Az on March 26.
“Of course, for this, Armenia must stop the aggressive policy against Azerbaijan and begin de-occupation of the seized lands in accordance with the requirements of four resolutions of the UN Security Council and other international structures that recognize the occupation of the territories of the neighboring state by Armenia,” the expert said.
He also noted that the main country that can exert real pressure on Armenia within the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is Russia, on which Armenia depends entirely.
Presently, while the countries of the region successfully develop political ties and economic cooperation, Armenia remains left out of regional projects. The country has long turned into an outcast of the region due to its unfounded territorial claims and aggression against Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.
While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.
Until now, Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.
Touching upon the relations between Turkey and Russia, Yilmaz noted that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the economic interaction between the two countries has improved, as well as in the political and military fields in the last two years.
“The two countries have become allies in the Syrian issue, combining efforts against U.S. and the West, and I think that these relations will improve in the future,” the expert said.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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