by Alexey Vlasov exclusively for VK
The resolution of the European Parliament on EU talks on association with Azerbaijan and Armenia once against shows that the European Union is striving for a more active role in settling conflicts in the post-Soviet space and considered the Nagorno-Karabakh problem a primary goal of Brussels.
The resolution states that association of Azerbaijan and Armenia within the framework of the Eastern Partnership program will not be signed until Azerbaijani territories become free. Baku called it a diplomatic victory. But another matter is how efficient the diplomatic instrument will be. The chances that such resolutions could affect the Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks are minimal.
The problem is that the format of the Eastern Partnership is more image-building for states that, in reality, have no chances of joining the EU and has not proven to be an efficient model for relations between Brussels, the South Caucasus and Central Asia. The project was presented in May 2008 and Ukraine, Moldavia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Belarus joined it a year later.
Germany and France have been considering relations with the six states in such a format from the very start, while Poland and the Czech Republic are the main lobbyists of the project. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that his state would not cooperate with Armenia, even within the framework of the Eastern Partnership, until the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is resolved. The position of Baku has not undergone any changes so far.
Azerbaijani political analyst Eldar Namazov said in late 2011 that the Parliamentary Assembly of the European Union is taking a more active part in discussing the problem. But there are key issues that remain unclear: what resources and abilities are used to settle the conflict, what political content will support Brussels’ part in settling the complicated problem. The Azerbaijani political analyst made positive forecasts to the contribution of the Eastern Partnership. Yet, there is a feeling that the influence of the structure is similar to that of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, which drops to zero in certain circumstances.
Disagreements between the mediators do not allow a common position to be reached to encourage the sides to fulfil their obligations. Every new resolution will be viewed as a success by one side or another, but neither the quantity of the resolutions nor their quality will bring success for Yerevan or Baku.
