Interview with Dennis Sammut, Executive Director of LINKS.
A: Can you comment on the decision of the Armenian President to freeze the dialogue with Turkey?
A: This decision was regrettable but not unexpected. Both Armenia and Turkey have found it more difficult to finish the process that they started in 2008 than they had originally expected. However the work done in the last two years should not be considered wasted.
Q: Do you see any prospects of normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia?
A: I speak regularly to diplomats and officials of both countries and I am convinced that both sides remain committed to this process. Obviously if there is progress in the negotiations over Karabakh between Armenia and Azerbaijan the chances are that the Armenia-Turkey reconciliation process will move much faster. I believe it is in everybody’s interest that this should happen
Q: Does the decision of President Sargsyan mean that Turkey’s peacemaking activity in the South Caucasus has reached a deadlock?
A: Turkey is an important player in the region. The commitment that has been shown by the Turkish government in the last two years to build peace and co-operation in the South Caucasus is very commendable. However Turkey has a history in the region also and this means that Turkey needs to work with other international partners if it wants to succeed. I think the Turkish government understands this very well.
Q: The Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia before their expected meeting on 9th May in Moscow have in recent days exchanged again tough statements on the Karabagh problem, showing no willingness for compromise. Can we talk about possibility of progress soon in the settlement process?
A: Of course it is very unfortunate that the two presidents still find it necessary to use this language in their public pronouncements. It shows the level of distrust that still exists between the two countries and the amount of work that still needs to be done. A peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict is within reach. Yet this cannot happen on its own. The two sides need to make the last push. It is not possible for the international community to take them where they do not want to go. This will be counterproductive.
Q: The President of Azerbaijan has held a meeting in the Ministry of Defense during which he said that the Azerbaijani army is able at any moment to liberate the occupied lands. What are possibilities of a new war in the region?
A: In the current conditions war remains a possibility, and we cannot exclude it. A War can start because somebody consciously starts it. I do not think that the governments of either Armenia or Azerbaijan want to start a war. However sometimes wars start as a result of an incident, or through misperception. This can happen in the case of Karabakh very easily because we have a very delicate situation on the cease fire line, and because the level of confidence between the sides is very low.
I want also to make a comment about what such a war will mean. The Minister of Defence of Azerbaijan, General Safir Abayev last week announced that Azerbaijan now has the capability of hitting targets in any part of Armenia. I believe him. I also think that Armenia has a similar capability of hitting targets in Azerbaijan. A future conflict on Karabakh will be very different from that of 1990-94. The conflict will affect all the territory of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Let us not forget what happened in Georgia in 2008. The conflict was not only in Tskhinvali. In hours it spread to Tbilisi, Gori, Poti, Senaki and many other places. This is the nightmare scenario we are facing in the South Caucasus, which is why everybody must work seriously to avoid this scenario at all costs
Q: Does the LINKS have any plans to restore a dialogue between Azerbaijani and Armenian parliamentarians?
A: We successfully facilitated this dialogue between 2002-2008 in the framework of the South Caucasus Parliamentary Initiative. It was an important confidence building measure for the whole region. Last year we were in contact with the two sides but it was not possible to have a meeting. We work on the basis of consensus so all sides need to be ready. LINKS remains committed to help with this process if all sides agree. In the meantime we are exploring other ways in which the political dialogue in the region can continue.
News.Az
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
