No settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict without respect for Azerbaijan’s sovereignty
By Sara Rajabova
There can be no settlement without respect for Azerbaijan’s sovereignty, and the recognition that its sovereignty over these territories must be restored.
Minister of State for Europe of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland David Lidington made the remark as he delivered a speech at the ADA University in Baku on November 5.
During his speech headlined “Put people at the heart of the solution in Nagorno-Karabakh”, Lidington emphasized how important it is for the UK and Europe to have a close relationship with a strong and prosperous Azerbaijan.
He said during his 2010 visit to Azerbaijan, he “talked about the UK’s hope for a peaceful settlement to end the terrible tragedy that is Nagorno-Karabakh.”
“In fact, there have been more fatalities this year than in any other since 1994. This is a conflict that has caused 20 years of lost opportunity. 20 years of continued hostility, hatred and suffering. Every year those forced from their homes as a result of the conflict, continue to suffer the anguish of exile. Many continue to live in very difficult conditions - hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis remain in IDPs camps. The suffering of the displaced and dispossessed is a reminder of the continuing human cost of this conflict. Every year the divisions and differences between the two countries and two peoples grow. Every year the possibilities for building a brighter future for the region become more distant,” Lidington said.
He stressed that a peace deal would open up the possibility for hundreds of thousands of displaced people being able to return to their homes.
Lidington further added that peaceful resolution would be transformative for the South Caucasus as a whole, enabling the region to develop its full economic potential as a bridge between Europe and Asia. “And of course I, and the UK government, strongly support the work of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in trying to achieve a lasting peace.”
The official welcomed the recent meetings of President Ilham Aliyev and President Serzh Sargsyan in Sochi, on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Wales and in Paris, noting that regular, high level meetings are one vital step towards building peace.
“Peace will only be possible if both Armenia and Azerbaijan are prepared to show the political will needed to reach agreement. For as long as the conflict continues, Azerbaijani lands will continue to be occupied. I believe that the time is long overdue for both sides to engage in serious efforts to reach a peace agreement,” Lidington said.
He went on to say that over the last three years the UK has invested almost 2 million euros and the EU a further 6 million euros, in funding projects which attempt to break down walls and develop understanding between the communities affected by the conflict.
“We believe that people-to-people interactions, and the peace-builders who sustain these links, are an essential element of any peace and reconciliation process. We think that this is the lesson to be learned from other conflicts elsewhere, including Northern Ireland. I think it is vital that international NGOs and local people continue to be able to work together on peace without fear of intimidation or harassment,” Lidington said.
For over two decades, Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict which emerged over Armenia's territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since 1994, but long-standing efforts by U.S., Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on its pullout from the neighboring country's territories.