Non-resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is result of West's indifference: U.S. expert

“The fact that the Nagorno Karabakh problem remains unresolved for 20 years is a result of indifference by the West”, said Vladimir Socor, Senior Research Fellow of Jamestown Foundation, at the international conference “Security challenges in the South Caucasus: realities and prospects of the regional development” in Baku.

The expert said the South Caucasian conflicts were inherited from the USSR and the West pursues unsuccessful policy to solve them.

“The conflicts between the communities turned into the conflicts between the countries”, said Socor.

He believes the international law is not implemented in the South Caucasus. Speaking about the role of peacemaking forces in the solution to the conflicts, the expert said NATO didn’t play its role in the South Caucasus correctly.

He reminded about the former Georgian president Edward Shevardnadze’s calls for humanist interference in Georgia like Balkans and said NATO and U.S. rejected this initiative in 2002.

The American expert said OSCE was no able to solve the conflicts.

Speaking about the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations, Socor said U.S president Barack Obama made mistake promising to Armenian Diaspora to recognize “Armenian genocide” during his election campaign.

“As a president, he cannot keep this promise because this will ruin relations with Turkey. Obama looks at the calendar and sees April there and he is trying to satisfy his Armenian voters with the opening of borders between Turkey and Armenia to create positive dynamic”.

The expert says that if the borders were opened in parallel with the withdrawal of Armenian troops from Nagornmo Karabakh, these parallel processes would lead to some progress.

He said the processes should be developed equal and synchronically. “The conflict solution is not possible in a short time. If the United States uses it cards correctly, there can be a progress. It has few cards. U.S. needs in Turkey more than Turkey needs in it. The United States should lift the damages on Turkey-Azerbaijan relations to restore previous relations,” the expert said.

/APA/