Interview with Asim Mollazade, chairman of the Party of Democratic Reforms, Milli Majlis deputy.
Q: How do you assess the results of the trilateral meeting of presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia-Dmitriy Medvedev, Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan in Astrakhan discussing ways to settle Nagorno Karabakh conflict?
A: I am inclined to share the optimism, of Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev who said by results of this trilateral meeting of the presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia that Azerbaijan and Armenia can come to a coordinated decision on principles of resolving the Karabakh conflict before the OSCE summit. I believe that the presidents of the countries of the OSCE Minsk Group and primarily Russia are taking an important work to resolve the Karabakh conflict. In addition I think the whole world community and superpowers are thinking of forcing Armenia to peace.
Q: What is the reason of such a position of superpowers?
A: The matter is that all countries are interested in peace and stability in our region and this cannot be reached without the fair resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno Karabakh, without liberation of all Armenian-occupied lands of Azerbaijan. The position of official Yerevan was a hindrance to the comprehensive, long-term development and flourishing of the South Caucasus. But such an open ignoring of international law and existing realities cannot last long and Armenia needs to realize this. And the issue of liberation of Armenian-occupied lands of Azerbaijan is current on the agenda.
Q: What could have made official Yerevan to become more compliant at negotiations?
A: This is the same opinion of the world community, leading superpowers, primarily Russia. In addition, Armenia has a number of problems for the reason of continued occupation of Azerbaijani lands and territorial claims not only to our country, but also to neighbor states, isolation from all successfully developing regional projects. This includes the collapsed economy, demographic problems, related to mass outflow of able-bodies citizens from this country. It is necessary to settle all these problems. But Armenia’s involvement into other big regional projects and the settlement of all economic and other problems is impossible without changes in the position of official Yerevan in the negotiation process, without its agreement to liberate the occupied lands of Azerbaijan.
Q: How much will it take to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno Karabakh completely?
A: Today, there is a need for definite steps in the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno Karabakh. Step by step, we will be able to come to the final resolution of this conflict, reach the atmosphere of peace and stability in the South Caucasus region. At the current stage it is important to sign a framework agreement on principles of the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno Karabakh. Here it is also necessary to raise trust between the parties. It is also important that the joint agreement-declaration by results of the Astrakhan meeting of the presidents of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan contains a paragraph about the exchange of war prisoners and return the bodies of the dead. In other words, there is a need to spare no effort for the resolution of this conflict. This will be uneasy process but it must be gone through.
Akper Hasanov
News.Az
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