The South Caucasus awaits the meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia andRussia in Kazan in late June. The tentative hopes of experts were confirmed by the statements of the Russian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers after the meeting of foreign ministers of the three states in Moscow on June 11. It was said that Sergey Lavrov, Elmar Mamedjyarov and Edward Nalbandyan came to a decision which enables lifting the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict negotiations from deadlock.According to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, a proposal for the document on a settlement of the conflict will be considered at the summit.
Moreover, Baku is also optimistic about the summit in Kazan.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that today favourable conditions for a fair settlement of the conflict had been formed. “The mutual statement of the heads of the countries co-chairing the Minsk group in May is a serious sign. It was stated that the status quo is unacceptable.”
Novruz Mamedov, the executive manager of the foreign department under the Presidential Department of Azerbaijan, confirmed Baku’s hopes.
He said that, considering the mutual statement made by the presidents of Russia, the USA and France in Deauville, some positive steps toward a settlement of the conflict had been made.
However, optimism fails when the Armenian side makes statements.
Even though Armenian Foreign Minister Nalbandyan admitted that progress in a settlement is possible if the positive tendency in the negotiations continues, he later made a statement which destroyed all the efforts of the mediators and Baku.
He said there would be no progress in the settlement without the participation of Nagorno-Karabakh. “The second stage presupposes the development of a peace treaty, and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic should participate in the negotiations,” Nalbandyan stated.
It means that the negotiations depend on the separatist authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh, who are satisfied with the status quo. It is not in their favour to change anything in the region.
It is naïve to believe that the separatists will encourage the withdrawal of occupying troops from the territory of Azerbaijan or accept the Helsinki Agreement.
Relying on the decisions of the unrecognized separatist regime, Yerevan seems to be playing back the negotiations on purpose.
Instead of a particular answer to the proposals made by the mediators, Armenia did its best to make the negotiations irrational.
However, Yerevan is probably trying to send political messages to Azerbaijan and put pressure on it regarding some issues which will be discussed at the summit in Kazan.Nevertheless, Armenia should understand that only the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia can conduct the negotiations, plus the mediators. Without involving representatives of the separatist regime.
Elmira Tariverdiyeva, Baku. Exclusively to VK
