“Neither Azerbaijan, nor Armenia rejects the Madrid principles. The statement issued in Muskoka also covers these principles.
The problem appears when you try to determine the consequence of the steps. I think they should be fixed as a common principle, after that our diplomats should continue the negotiations. If we do not fix these principles, the process of negotiations will be damaged, because the sides, particularly Azerbaijan is losing patience. The negotiations can be damaged and we will be obliged to start from point zero,” said Director of Armenian Analytical Center for Globalization and Cooperation Stepan Grigoryan, who is attending the 3rd Security Forum of the Southern Caucasus in Baku, APA reported.
“I witnessed the care for the Armenian church in the center of Baku. It means that Azerbaijan is taking steps. Religion is a very important factor for both Azerbaijanis and Armenians and the steps taken in this direction change the attitude,” he said.
Asked whether renaming of the occupied territories serves the increase of confidence Stepan Grigoryan underlined that unfortunately in Armenia he hears different interpretation, because the historical view is diametrically opposite.
“I propose to separate history from the policy and make concrete steps. Our countries joined the Geneva conventions and some steps were taken for exchanging the prisoners of war. These developments will change the relations. But if we address the history every time, nothing will be achieved”.
Expressing opinion about the President Serzh Sargsyan’s speech at the Astana summit, where he called Nakhchivan as a historic Armenian land, Grigorian said he had no details about the speech. “We are frequently hearing the statements by the Azerbaijani officials, which cause protest and surprise in Armenia. May be we need to coordinate our positions on the historic issues. It doesn’t need to claim about Great Armenia or Great Azerbaijan here quoting the history. Let the historians to address this problem. You know Germans and French people, Lithuanians and Polish people, Czech people and Germans, as well as others could put the historic problems aside, and were able to separate history from the policy. If it is not so we will always dispute and try to prove that we are more ancient. I don’t understand relationship between this and current situation. The new generation should live in normal conditions and we have a chance for this. I am here because I understand that we need to meet and exchange opinions with the Azerbaijani politicians and analysts not only in Brussels or Moscow, but in Baku as well”.
To question “You saw modern Azerbaijan, what do you think, what is better for Karabakh Armenians – to live in Azerbaijan, Armenia, or just independently?”, Grigoryan considers that both Armenians and Azerbaijanis and Georgians must learn to respect the position of minorities: “We were born in the Soviet union and saw Stalin traditions. That is, if somebody says something, he is either shot, or obliged to keep silence. When Nagorno Karabakh conflict started, not only Armenians and Azerbaijanis committed all acts, everyone knows that most of provocations came from Kremlin. That is why, let’s try to hear unpleasant opinions, listen to ideas of minorities. Sometimes, principle of self-determination is simply introduced as independence. I do not except there may occur such dynamics in Azerbaijan - Armenia relations that this issue may become secondary. But currently, this issue is primary for us, because we were born in the Soviet Union and live with such principle that if someone does not agree with me, I must annihilate him. Let’s withdrew form this paradigm”.
Answering question on possibility of return of Azerbaijanis living in today’s Armenia for centuries, Grigoryan said that he could not speak instead of official Yerevan: “I think that if Karabakh Armenians want to be heard, it is good. In my mind, position of Karabakh must be taken into account. But if I want to take into consideration opinions of Karabakh Armenians, how the opinions of Azerbaijanis living there till the conflict can not be taken into account? That is why, I think that their positions must be appreciated and mechanism must be created for this in the negotiations”.
To him, interests of both Azerbaijanis living in Armenia, and Armenians living in Baku and Ganja must be taken into consideration.
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