At the same time, the Armenian authorities continue to evade other issues in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process and are constantly looking for ways to shift the responsibility for the provocative actions of Yerevan to Baku. Former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza shared his opinion on the current state of affairs in Azerbaijan-Armenia relations with Vestnik Kavkaza.
“The Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan recognizing the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and specifying that the area of the territory of Azerbaijan is 86,600 square kilometers (which means recognition of Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan) is extremely important. The recognition of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan by Armenia was the main goal of Baku during the Second Karabakh War and during the entire decades of political and military processes.
“This is a crucial moment in ending the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and preparation for the signing of a peace treaty. This is not the first time the Armenian authorities have mentioned the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan; about a year ago Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan made a similar statement, but then the situation escalated and negotiations were derailed. The fact that Pashinyan is making such a statement now, at a time of serious, coordinated diplomatic efforts by the US and the European Union, makes me think that a peace treaty can happen soon.
“Moreover, by recognizing the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan officially, Prime Minister Pashinyan is helping to destroy the myth of ‘Greater Armenia,’ which is especially prevalent among the Armenian diaspora: the belief that all the lands in the region that were populated by Armenians in the past can somehow be joined into one state. Obviously, this will never happen,” the diplomat said.
“Both as a gesture of goodwill and under international law, Armenia must participate in the mine clearance of Azerbaijan. It is Armenia who knows where it has planted the landmines. The fact that Armenian troops have planted the mines makes it Yerevan’s responsibility to help Baku find and destroy them.
“Note that Yerevan’s participation in the demining of Karabakh and East Zangezur would be an effective way for Azerbaijan and Armenia to open a new page in their history and become good neighbors. It would also clear the way for Armenia to participate in major investment projects, especially in transport infrastructure, on which President Aliyev, Prime Minister Pashinyan and President Putin agreed to work together under the January 9-10, 2021 agreement,” Bryza added.
“As any sovereign state, Azerbaijan certainly has the right to demand or request financial compensation from Armenia, given the occupation of Azerbaijani lands over all these years. There is only one mechanism to compel Armenia to provide this compensation: to bring an international legal action against Armenia.
“Armenia and Azerbaijan could include in the peace treaty a clause stipulating that Yerevan will pay compensation to Azerbaijan, but it is highly unlikely that the Armenian authorities will sign up for such a commitment. I do not believe that the compensation will be mentioned in the peace treaty, but I do hope that the peace treaty itself will be signed soon,” he concluded.
Translated from Minval.az
