The model of Tatarstan does not suit Karabakh
The key difficulty in the Karabakh peace talks is to determine the future status of that territory, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told journalists. He noted that the sides are showing no much of agreement yet, but if they agree on this issue, they will ensure real progress in the talks. 525th Daily reports Mammadyarov as saying that Azerbaijan is ready to provide Karabakh with the highest autonomy status possible within its territorial integrity. He gave the example of Tatarstan, a very wide autonomy within the Russian Federation, whose constitution allows it to build relations with foreign countries and to open representations abroad.
The daily notes that the model of Tatarstan was discussed as early as September 1993 by then acting Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev and Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrossyan during their Moscow meeting organized by Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Later, former state advisor Vafa Guluzade, who was present at the meeting, said that Armenia rejected this proposal, while the Russian side showed no specific approach to it. In the spring 2001, during the talks in Paris and Key-West, the model of Tatarstan was again on agenda. The head of the Azeri delegation to PACE Ilham Aliyev suggested applying this model as a way to resolve the Karabakh conflict, but the Armenian side kept objecting to any proposals for keeping Karabakh within Azerbaijan. In this light, Baku’s return to the Tatarstan model is quite noteworthy. “There are several ways to determine the status of disputed territories in the world: highest level of autonomy, condominium (joint government), territorial swap, special agreement. Until now the Armenian side has been rejecting the proposals for Karabakh’s autonomy within Azerbaijan and territorial swap.”
Joint government in Karabakh is contrary to the interests of the Azerbaijani statehood as it means that Azerbaijan will lose its sovereignty over that territory. Special agreement has a big potential for attaining mutual understanding and is used mostly for resolving conflicts with separatist regions. In this case, a central government and a region conclude an agreement on coordinating sovereignty. For example, in Russia Tatarstan decides on its own in all spheres except foreign policy, defense and security.”
The idea of giving Karabakh “wide” autonomy is taking specific shape, says KarabakhOpen.com: “The Azerbaijani Foreign Minister has finally outlined this idea and said that autonomy may be similar to the status of Tatarstan within the Russian Federation.” The daily quotes experts as saying that the new ideas of the Azerbaijani FM are just “agony,” the last try to preserve nominal authority over Karabakh — no coincidence, they are beginning to talk about this now that the independence of Montenegro has been recognized.
The leader of the Fatherland faction of the Nagorno-Karabakh parliament Araik Haroutyunyan says that NKR will not discuss any of Azerbaijan’s proposals going beyond its independence. “As regards Mammadyarov’s idea, I would advise him to first consider providing autonomy to Azerbaijani Talish and Kurdish minorities,” says Haroutyunyan.
The representative of the ARF Dashnaktsoutyun to NKR Artur Mossiyan notes that this is not the first time the Azerbaijani authorities are making such a statement. “The Azeri authorities have always said that they are ready to provide Karabakh with the ‘widest’ autonomy existing in the world. Perhaps, for Mammadyarov Tatarstan’s autonomy is the widest, but the Karabakh people and authorities and our party have always confirmed their will to have an independent state and have always rejected any scenarios implying Karabakh’s submission to Azerbaijan,” says Mossiyan.
The chairman of the parliamentary commission on defense and security Rudik Martirossyan says that the situation in Karabakh is drastically different from the situation in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transdnestr or even Tatarstan. Quite different analogues are applicable to Karabakh — “as we have never been part of independent Azerbaijan.” “This statement is just one more impracticable proposal as no nation who has once gained independence through a referendum can be submitted by another nation. The proposal of the Azeri side is unacceptable to Karabakh,” says Martirossyan.
Commenting on Mammadyarov’s statement, Nagorno Karabakh FM Georgy Petrosyan says: “This statement – unless it is just one more propaganda move – means that Azerbaijan is ready to federalize its state. So, I hope they will give this autonomy to the Lezgin, Talish and other minorities living in their country. As regards NKR – with whom Azerbaijan avoids to contact – I would like to note that the Azerbaijani authorities cannot give one or another status to Nagorno Karabakh as this is outside their competence. The status of Nagorno Karabakh has been legally determined by its people.” (The information portal of the Nagorno Karabakh FM)
Is Aliyev getting ready for war?
525th daily reports Azerbajani President Ilham Aliyev to say during the 33rd meeting of the FMs of the Organization for the Islamic Conference that Azerbaijan hopes for peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict but must consider other scenarios too. He said that this problem is an obstacle to cooperation in the whole region: “We are trying to solve this problem by peaceful means but we cannot put up with the present reality. Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is recognized in the whole world. The Armenian side defies the 4 UN resolutions urging it to withdraw its troops from Azerbaijani lands.” “Azerbaijan has never agreed to the violation of its territorial integrity. The talks will lead to peace only when Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is restored,” Aliyev said.
The Azerbaijani army can liberate the territories occupied by Armenia at any moment, Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev told journalists on June 22. Day.Az reports him as noting that, in fact, Azerbaijan is still at war with Armenia. As a result, the situation on the frontline is constantly unstable, the lives of Azeri soldiers are constantly in danger, but the Azerbaijani army can rebuff any attack by the enemy at any moment.
“Should we continue the talks, at all, if nothing is coming of them? This has long become just an attempt to follow fashion — in fact, humiliation of the Azerbaijani people. We better stop dreaming we may benefit from this gathering. We all remember how Kocharyan shamelessly said at PACE that he is proud that he took part in ‘the liberation of Karabakh’! What talks can we have with this terrorist who is proud of his Fascist ideology – an ideology that is agonizing the whole region?! While Azerbaijan is gradually losing ground at the talks, the Armenians are getting increasingly confident of their strength and impunity. While our rich are just thinking how to fill their purses and pockets, the Armenians are gaining ground by availing themselves of the incompetence, egoism and pathological greed of the Azerbaijani political ‘elite’… Kocharyan, Oskanyan, Ghoukassyan and the like are encouraged by the impotence of the Azerbaijani authorities who just keep saying ‘We will never put up with the loss of Karabakh!’ – a phrase that has long set our teeth on edge,” says Zerkalo daily.No war by Azerbaijan, to date, does not mean they fear that anybody will censure them, political scientist Hrazdan Madoyan says to PanARMENIAN.Net. On the one hand, if they in Baku were at least 50 percent sure they would win, they would not look at the US or NATO. On the other hand, the selfsame US and NATO have put a rigid veto on war. This veto may imply the toughest possible sanctions – up to “division of the country and dethronement of Aliyev.”
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