Leonid Slutsky: "The Karabakh problem should be solved during our generation's lifetime"

Yesterday, not only in Azerbaijan, but also in Russia, the national leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev was commemorated. During difficult days for the country, when its history could have been written in a very different, destructive way, he managed to save his homeland from fratricidal strife and assumed responsibility for the future of his people. At a reception on the occasion of the 93th anniversary of the birth of Heydar Aliyev, State Duma deputy Leonid Slutsky spoke to ‘Vestnik Kavkaza’ about the architect of modern Azerbaijan and the Karabakh settlement.

– The founder of today’s Azerbaijani state, the great Heydar Aliyev, did a lot to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He didn’t manage to complete it, but those who came after him with the memory of him in their hearts should succeed in it. I want to thank all those who honor the memory of the great son of the Azerbaijani people, the great son of the Soviet people, Heydar Aliyev. On this day I think about my friend, Ilham Heydar oglu, who continues the work of his great father who managed to make Azerbaijan a prosperous country with a prosperous economy in the coordinate system far beyond the former Soviet Union. We will continue to work together and strengthen the ties of friendship between our peoples. I want to congratulate all those who remember Heydar Aliyev, who honor his memory. The Kingdom of Heaven, the eternal memory of the founder of the prosperous state of Azerbaijan.

I am sure that the 21st century will be a century of parliamentary diplomacy, and we will be able to maintain official diplomacy efficiently in the most difficult dossier in the most challenging problems of today's world politics and international relations, where our voters entrust heads of state. Above all, Heydar Aliyev was a specialist in national security, and he dedicated all his life to establishing peace in his native land. Today this is the overarching challenge for each of us.

I met him a few times in Baku and in Strasbourg. I was lucky enough to be a friend of his son, who became the successor to his great father. He successfully implemented the program to reduce poverty and made Azerbaijan a country with one of the most prosperous economies. The history of the European Olympic Games began in Baku. The landmark Eurovision contest also took place there. Baku hosted a unique Humanitarian Forum for the former Soviet Union. Each page becomes golden in the history of modern Azerbaijan, and is inseparably tied with the memory of Heydar Aliyev. Today his memory lives in every Azerbaijani family, in the heart of everyone who sees the processes taking place in Azerbaijan today, as well as how to overcome economic and social problems, as well as build a prosperous state that cares about each person.

Heydar Aliyev always deeply understood the essence of the processes. And in the last few years before the collapse of the USSR and the first most difficult and disturbing formative years of the Azerbaijani state he had a systematic approach to establishing security issues. He was professional in the spheres of economics and social policy. He always had a very serious approach to the issues that were associated with human life, and he was very sensitive to preventing Azerbaijan from serious bleeding conflicts.

– How is the work to resolve the Karabakh problem being carried out at the parliamentary level?

– Nagorno-Karabakh is a very delicate matter. This is a bleeding conflict, and those who have no relevant experience or a mandate should not be involved in it. But each of us knows we have no right to leave this bleeding problem for future generations. This problem must be solved in our lifetime. But it is easy to talk. Those who have worked before us also wanted to resolve this issue, but they didn’t succeed in it. Meanwhile, the OSCE Minsk Group achieved at least the fact that there are no bloody clashes. We believe the OSCE Minsk Group format is still rational and effective to maintain peace in the region as far as possible.

However, the Madrid principles appeared seven years ago, but they have still not been implemented yet. Now the conflicting parties don’t have a common understanding on the necessary key steps, the settlement has not started on paper, or at the level of negotiating groups, but the most realistic way. Understanding the necessary steps should be achieved at the level of the heads of state in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. It is necessary to sit at the negotiating table, including the Russian leadership, in order to come to a common denominator

The process is not as quick and effective as we would like it to be. I would like to urge those who are involved in the decision-making at the highest state level to be wise, patient and, of course, have the political will to tackle this extremely complex issue in order to avoid further bloodshed and the escalation of violence. No matter how difficult it is, we should adhere to the minimum of warlike rhetoric. Common sense should prevail. Politicians will take responsibility.

You do not have to be as wise as Solomon in order to trigger a new round of violence. I am sure that the foreign ministries of both sides in the conflict and those who work as ambassadors within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, including from the Russian side, will make (and made before) all possible efforts to reduce tension and prevent new victims.

However utopian my words have sounded, I will say that politicians of my generation will do their best in order to solve this seemingly intractable problem. Thousands of people give us, parliamentarians, the right and opportunity to be engaged in parliamentary diplomacy, maintain official diplomacy, including the settlement of the extremely difficult Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The slightest wrong move, leakage or distortion can lead to victims.