Ex-Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan: "Armenians of Karabakh are interested in provocation"
Tofig Zulfugarov on situation in Karabakh
A protest staged by Azerbaijani activists in the Lachin corridor has been going on for eight days and their demands still have not been met. Today, two important events took place at the site of the protest – an ambulance drove from Khankendi (Stepanakert) to Armenia and the peacekeepers left their post adjacent to the protesters. The Armenian population of Karabakh and the peacekeepers are interested in provocation, which is not in the interests of official Baku, former Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Tofig Zulfugarov said.
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On the eighth day of the protest two important events took place in the Lachin corridor. In the morning, protesters and peacekeepers created conditions for the passage of an ambulance from Khankendi (Stepanakert) towards Armenia, as a 62-year-old resident of Karabakh needed an urgent a heart operation.
In the afternoon, information appeared that the post of the Russian peacekeeping contingent (RCC), which had been staying close to the protesters, had moved tens of meters away from the scene. Subsequently the peacekeepers filmed the protesters; so far there has been no explanation for their actions.
None of the Azeribaijanis’ demands has yet been met. The protesters demand the arrival of the commander of the RCC Andrey Volkov to the place of the protest and the admission of the Azerbaijani monitoring group to mining fields in the part of Karabakh controlled by peacekeepers.
What is happening in Karabakh?
If we analyze the situation in Karabakh “parallels with the past reluctantly come to mind,” former Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Tofig Zulfugarov says:
“These parallels remind us of how it was in the region in the late 80s and early 90s.
After the second Karabakh war, the situation changed dramatically. Certain elements which cannot digest Azerbaijan’s victory are again again. They are doing their best to show that the conflict is not over for them. By creating some kind of working mechanism, these forces are trying to continue their presence in the region. It was the same thirty years ago.
All conflicts must have at least two sides. Until the end of the war, such parties here were Armenia and Azerbaijan. But after Azerbaijan regained control of its western borders, Armenia and its allies have been trying to change their policies. They are trying to present the situation in such a way that Armenia is no longer involved in the conflict, and allegedly there is an independent political and economic formation in Karabakh with which Azerbaijan should negotiate.
Thus, they want to prolong the fruitless negotiations. By creating this situation, these forces intend to retain leverage on Azerbaijan and Armenia.”
About the Armenian population of Karabakh
“After the second Karabakh war the Armenian population of Karabakh, the main protagonist of the current situation, has sharply decreased. We witnessed how, having just arrived in the region, Russian peacekeepers began building housing for Armenians. They even renovated their houses.
But this was not crowned with great success. Judging by the data of the controlling departments of Azerbaijan, the Armenian population in Karabakh is currently about 25,000 people. Russia claimed that there were about 50,000 of them there. Now Ruben Vardanyan is saying 120,000.
The main goal here is to show the success of the peacekeepers, although in reality this is far from the case,” the Azerbaijani diplomat said.
Azerbaijan’s position
The position of Azerbaijan has been voiced more than once at various levels, including by the President of the country, Zulfugarov noted:
“According to official Baku the Karabakh conflict is settled and at present there is no territorial unit called “Nagorno-Karabakh” on the administrative map of the country.
Baku calls on the Armenian population in Karabakh to respect the laws of the country of residence and become full citizens. But if someone does not agree with such a formulation of the issue, they can leave Azerbaijan. As for the armed terrorists still remaining on the territory of Azerbaijan, if they are not disarmed they will be destroyed sooner or later.
At this time in the Lachin corridor, Azerbaijan shows that it is the owner of this land, and the peacekeepers are a temporary factor.”
What do peacekeepers want?
“Peacekeepers want to prove to the local Armenians that they are completely safe thanks to their presence, and can continue to live there, as they lived, say, thirty years ago.
But a simple resident of this part of Karabakh sees the Azerbaijani flag from his window at a military post and understands that this situation cannot last long. This is Azerbaijani land, and sooner or later Baku will achieve its goal.
Another goal of the RCC is to prevent the restoration of contacts between Azerbaijanis and Armenians. They seem to be pushing the local Armenian population to the idea that contacts with Azerbaijanis are dangerous for them,” the ex-minister says.
Tofig Zulfugarov on situation in Karabakh
What do the Armenians and their allies want?
Zulfugarov says that the Armenians want the presence of international missions both on the border of Armenia with Azerbaijan and in Karabakh, thereby replacing Russian peacekeepers:
“Why? Because the Russian peacekeepers have no mandate. But the international mission will have a mandate and may be present in the region both as part of the RCC and in parallel with it. This is what the Armenians want.
The mandate gives peacekeepers specific rights. Armenians are well aware that Azerbaijan will never agree to this.
Therefore, arguing their position by the fact that they are in danger, they are trying to bring the issue to the discussion of the UN Security Council. If the UN Security Council decides to send a peacekeeping mission to Karabakh, then Azerbaijan’s permission is not even required.”
If Azerbaijan withdraws RCC from Karabakh
“Suppose tomorrow Baku decides to get rid of the RCC in Karabakh. In this case, the peacekeepers will ask for at least a month to pack up and leave.
During this month some kind of provocation will occur in Karabakh, and the UN Security Council will make an appropriate decision.
This means that Russian troops will not have time to leave the region before peacekeepers with a UN mandate enter it. And among them there may be the same Russian peacekeepers, because the Russian Federation is a member of the Security Council.
There is no need to ask anyone for permission. This is the situation,” Zulfugarov sais.
On the blocking of the gas pipeline and the road
At present, peacekeepers are an interested party in the growth of tension in the region, Zulfugarov believes:
“The other day there was news that the supply of natural gas to Khankendi was stopped. Then it turned out that there were no problems in the part of the gas pipeline passing through the territory controlled by Azerbaijan. Gas to the part of Karabakh controlled by RCC is exported by Gazprom, a Russian company.
The road was also blocked by Russian peacekeepers, but this is presented to the whole world as if the Azerbaijani protesters were responsible.”
Is a military operation possible?
“As for the solution of the issue by military means, calls for a counter-terrorist operation in Karabakh, this is beneficial primarily to the Armenians.
As I’ve said, it is they who are interested in increasing tension so that all this ends with the entry of an international mission into the region.
For this reason, military confrontation is now unprofitable for Azerbaijan,” Zulfugarov concluded.
Tofig Zulfugarov on situation in Karabakh
