On April 18, following meetings with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev told the Russian state-run television that while he understood the importance of a land link between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabagh, he envisioned the Lachin corridor becoming a crossing path for both Armenians and Azeris alike following the final resolution of the conflict.
Meanwhile in Turkey, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated that without a resolution to the Karabagh conflict there would be no deal on the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border, effectively telling his constituency to not hold their breath for an immediate solution.
Lachin—or Kashatagh as it is known in Armenian—is a vital and strategic area and serves as a main link between Armenia and the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR). In fact, one of the first projects that the Armenia Fund undertook and successfully completed was the construction of the Lachin Corridor—a highway connecting Armenia to Stepanakert via Lachin.
Aliyev also demanded that all liberated territories be “returned” to Azerbaijan and outlined that Lachin would serve as transport route for the eventual return of Azeris formerly living in Karabagh proper.
“Azerbaijan’s position on Nagorno-Karabagh reflects both the security of the people who live there now and will live there in the future, as well as issues of Nagorno-Karabagh’s local administration and restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity,” Aliyev said in the interview, hinting that the any decision on the status of Karabagh could be postponed indefinitely, until the so-called withdrawal of “Armenian forces” from the liberated territories.
Through various announcements, statements, and leaks, it has become evident that Aliyev’s announcements this weekend are a reiteration of the so-called Madrid Principles on which the OSCE Minsk Group is leading the conflict resolution process, and pressure is mounting on Armenia to quickly adhere to these principles and move to ensure that a blueprint for regional stability that will make Armenia more vulnerable is adopted.
There are various problems to this harried effort to reach a deal, not the least of which is the conflict between the principles of territorial integrity and the right to self-determination of peoples. While Aliyev clearly is pushing for a return of the administrative borders of the former Nagorno Karabagh autonomous oblast as defined by the Soviets, the population of Karabagh has made it clear, through a popular referendum, that Karabagh’s borders include the liberated territories. Furthermore, the Soviet borders also include the Shahumian region, which was the scene of brutal Azeri attacks and mass deportation of Armenians.
The new vigor that, once again, has placed Karabagh center-stage of the region and the sense of urgency with which the two issues—Turkish-Armenia border and Karabagh—are being forced down everyone’s throat, leave room for irreparable damage and mistakes.
Armenian officials have reiterated their position that there be no preconditions for the Turkey talks and, on numerous occasions, have advocated the right to self-determination of the people of Karabagh, but it is time for them to veer away from rhetorical statements and present a comprehensive plan that would clearly delineate what we, as Armenians, will gain in the event of a deal on both fronts.
With Azerbaijan’s vocal and often confrontational approach to the Karabagh issue, it is also time for a more urgent push to bring Karabagh to the negotiating table, as this critical void in the peace process could become the key for lasting peace in the region.
Ara Khachatourian
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I agree with everything discussed in the above articel. Armenians should never return the liberated lands and should hold firm against pressure from Turkey and the rest of the world. We must have a clear policy on Artsakh, Kashatagh and the rest of the liberated lands. I have already supported and will carry on supporting the foundations efforts in restoring these lands and bring in the basic aminities to Armenians on these lands which have been otherwise been prevented from having through years of ethnic cleansing by Azeris. I would urge all Armenians to provide support where they are able to contribute to tyhe cause. No one else will do it for us.
Amen.
And read articles ,posts on Mensoian´s article on this forum.Most important is RESSETTLEMENT ON THOSE LANDS
best to you and your like
Aliyev wants to take surrounding regions in order to attack Karabagh. If Karabagh gives away its surrounding regions then its boarders (not the area) will increase to 400 km because of geography, which will make even more difficult to protect. NKR’s Constitution states that the surrounding regions are the integral part of Karabagh. While Azerbaijan’s Constitution does not allow Aliyev to sign any deal regarding “its” territories. So, the first thing Aliyev can do is to change azeris’ Constitution…
The only lasting solution would be the disappearance of the Ilham Aliyev’s Sultanate and establishment of small independent ethnic republics of Tolysh, Lezgi, Tat and other native peoples whose lands are currently occupied by the nomadic Azeri-Turks.
Organized repatriation and resettlement should be a priority for all Armenians for the next 20 years until this artificially created “Azerbaijan Republic” runs out of it’s limited oil and gas resources and becomes irrelevant to the West.
It will take hardy pioneers to begin this resettlement. Let’s establish more diasporan programs that entice young people/young adults to do service work and contemplate life in the fatherland.
Vagho,
More diasporan programs is good but the focus should be on physical infrastructure that will allow people to live and work there. Something that cannot be stolen and deposited into Swiss bank accounts. And in order to achieve that we need Armenian tax (say 1% of income every April 24th) that would go to support these real investments. Armenians can no longer rely on some moody super rich that lost their connection with real people.
A $200 million could build 4 settlements for 1,000 repatriates each complete with infrastructure and jobs to ensure same middle class standard living as in the US.