Interview with Azerbaijani MP Mubariz Gurbanli, deputy executive secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party.
Q: Should any breakthroughs on a Karabakh resolution be expected from the next meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers, initiated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov?
A: I think such meetings are important, and I think it is especially important that such steps are taken by the Russian foreign minister. All the same, Russia has to put pressure on Armenia if these meetings are to have real effect. The key to the solution of the Karabakh conflict, therefore, depends mostly on Russia. Russia can contribute to the peaceful settlement of the conflict. I think the issues receive in-depth discussion at the meetings organized by the Russian foreign minister. I also believe that the just position of Azerbaijan will prevail in these meetings, since it has always been difficult to trample on justice or go against justice. Azerbaijan supports justice and truth.
Q: Is it more effective for the Minsk Group co-chairing states to hold separate meetings with the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides?
A: When making such initiatives, the Minsk Group co-chairing states certainly coordinate them with their partners. Such initiatives are certainly not separate. I think it is fine for the co-chairs to organize separate meetings between the conflict parties. The Karabakh conflict is very complex and it would be naïve to hope that the conflict could be settled as a result of one meeting, one process. The Russian president and foreign minister are able by these initiatives to steer the conflict settlement in a certain direction. I think everyone can accept the just position of Azerbaijan if talks are sincere.
Q: Is a breakthrough in the Karabakh settlement realistic in 2011?
A: It is very difficult to make exact predictions. The conflict can be settled in three months or three years. The open pressure of the superpowers, especially the Minsk Group co-chairing states and permanent members of the UN Security Council, is needed to settle the conflict.
The policy of the superpowers towards the Karabakh conflict may change if these countries decide to turn the Caucasus into a region of stability and prosperity, from a place of confrontation to one of cooperation.
The Caucasus region, like the Middle East, is currently a place for the confrontation of the superpowers. It is is no surprise, therefore, that the South Caucasus has three conflicts and that the Caucasus as a whole is viewed as somewhere that major conflicts can be provoked. One example is the Chechen conflict, which flared up at one time and is like a dormant volcano that might erupt at any moment.
Q: Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said recently that Karabakh could never be part of Azerbaijan and that Armenia would put up determined resistance if Azerbaijan were to start a war. What might be the effect of these statements?
A: Serzh Sargsyan is bluffing politically and will not be able to go any further. There is nothing surprising about Sargsyan's remarks, as he is an occupier of Azerbaijani lands. These words are fantasy and drivel. The best response to Sargsyan can be found in the book "Goris-2010: Season of the Theatre of the Absurd" by the chief of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, Ramiz Mehdiyev. Sargsyan knows Russia and certainly if he reads this book, which was published in Russia, he would realize that his remarks on history and Karabakh are nonsense and way off the mark.
As for Sargsyan's bellicose statements, the best response is Azerbaijan's rapid development, as seen in President Ilham Aliyev's remarks at the recent government session to review 2010. The head of state said that Azerbaijan’s defence spending topped $3bn, while Armenia's entire state budget was $2bn.
Lala B.
News.Az
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