Armenia stages political provocation to hamper Karabakh peace process

By Azernews

By Rashid Shirinov

The so-called “constitutional referendum” to be held on February 20 in occupied the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, which is now ruled by a puppet regime controlled by Armenia, is another pointless attempt of the Armenian authorities to disrupt the negotiations with Azerbaijan.

It is no secret that hampering the process of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict at every opportunity is the typical behavior of the Armenian authorities. Thus, the illegal “referendum” in the occupied Azerbaijani lands have become another attempt of Armenia in this direction.

It is crystal clear that Armenia does not respect the international law – while the world pushes Yerevan to make action in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and world powers speak about the inadmissibility of maintaining the status quo, Armenia comes up with another provocation against Azerbaijan.

However, the silence of the international community, which seems to turn a blind eye to all the lawlessness committed by Armenians in Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region, is quite surprising and suggests the use of double standards towards Azerbaijan. The reason of such thinking is that the world powers did not behave this way when similar illegitimate referendums were prepared in other separatist formations of the post-Soviet area.

The decision of Yerevan to hold a “referendum” in the Armenian-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh contradicts the position of the international community, which recognizes those lands as part of Azerbaijan. Therefore, the results of the “referendum” will have no legal force and no real consequences other than another provocation of Armenia, aimed at the prolongation of the negotiations with Baku.

International institutions must remember that the main body of the world order, the UN, clearly defined its position regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The UN Security Council resolutions #822 (1993), 853 (1993), 874 (1993), 884 (1993) and the resolution 62/243 (2008) of the UN General Assembly condemn the occupation of Azerbaijani territories and reaffirm support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan.

In its four resolutions, the Council confirms that Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan and calls for "respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and its borders," also stating "the inadmissibility of the use of force for the acquisition of territories".

All this proves that the international community should immediately protest Armenia in its another attempt to violate the laws of Azerbaijan and the international norms and regulations by conducting the so-called “constitutional referendum” in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Commenting on the issue, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry stated that the illegal “referendum on constitutional changes” is a clear violation of Azerbaijan’s constitution, as well as the norms and principles of international law and, therefore, has no legal effect.

The Ministry reiterated that the illegal regime established by Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan is ultimately nothing than the product of aggression and occupation.

“This provocative step, as well as Armenia’s attempts to change the name of Nagorno-Karabakh region, an integral part of Azerbaijan, is yet another clear manifestation of the fact that Armenia is not interested in seeking a political settlement of this armed conflict,” the Ministry’s statement said.

Azerbaijan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ali Ahmadov, in turn, said that international organizations recognize neither the "referendum" conducted by the unrecognized regime established by Armenia in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, nor its results.

“If they [Armenians] want to hold a "referendum" to please themselves, let them do it. Of course, the government and people of Azerbaijan do not recognize and will not recognize this "referendum,” Ahmadov said.

He added that the whole world and international organizations clearly understand that Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan.

“No second Armenian state will be created in the territory of Azerbaijan under any circumstances, and the President of Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated this,” the Deputy Prime Minister said. “No part of the Azerbaijani lands can be separated from Azerbaijan, and it is obvious that the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh, its separation isn’t, wasn’t and won’t be the subject of discussion.”

Nathalie Goulet, the French senator and vice-chair of the Senate’s Foreign Affairs Committee, in turn, told Trend on February 15 that no one can agree with any kind of election or referendum in Azerbaijan’s occupied territory.

Cheating history and distorting facts will not create new truth and cheating reality will not help to solve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, she said while commenting on the illegal “referendum.”

“The so-called Nagorno-Karabakh Republic doesn't exist and even Armenia doesn't recognize the independence of Azerbaijan’s occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region,” said Goulet, adding that the "government" of the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh Republic doesn’t correspond to the international law and UN resolutions.

Sergey Markov, Russian president’s confidant, member of the Russian Public Chamber, told Trend that Armenia-conducted "referendum" in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh is another step away from a possible agreement for a peaceful settlement of the conflict, and is also a sign of the unwillingness of the Armenian side to negotiate.

Markov noted that renaming the occupied Azerbaijani territories, which is envisaged in the “referendum,” will give nothing to the Armenian side, and will only hinder the documentation.

“I do not think that the upcoming "referendum" will be welcomed by the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. During the negotiations, as well as in all international documents, the territory will keep the Azerbaijani name – Nagorno-Karabakh,” he said.

The expert added that the upcoming "referendum" is a strong indicator of the low professionalism of the Armenian side, it is symbolic and unproductive gesture.

The Azerbaijani MP Elman Nasirov, in turn, said that the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, who deal with finding a fair resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and international organizations should understand that it is impossible to resolve the conflict while using double standards.

“The development may be further complicated if a military scenario is implemented. If this happens, the responsibility will fall on Armenia, countries, who patron this occupation regime, and to international organizations,” Nasirov told Trend. He added that the responsibility will also fall on the OSCE Minsk Group, because it sees the provocative actions of Armenia, but do not take any steps envisaged by its mission.

“I believe that the international organizations should primarily use the levers of pressure on Armenia in order to save their faces,” the MP added.

Thus, Armenia, who has been violating the international law for more than two decades by keeping under occupation 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands, resorts to another provocation against Azerbaijan. This illegal act should be condemned and protested by the whole international community to stop the extension of Armenian separatism in native Azerbaijani lands.