Karabagh News

KARABAKHIS' RENEWED INDEPENDENCE HOPES
Local politicians say goal of international recognition should be pursued more

strongly in wake of Georgian war.
By Karine Ohanian in Stepanakert

The conflict in Georgia and Russia's recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as

independent states have fundamentally shaken up the unresolved Armenian-Azerbaijani

conflict over Nagorny Karabakh.

Two of the three mediators in the OSCE body charged with resolving the Nagorny Karabakh

conflict, the so-called Minsk Group - consisting of the United States, Russia and France

- have clashed over Georgia, with Washington deeply opposed to Moscow backing the

independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

"The mediators in the Karabakh peace process need some mediation themselves,"

commented Armen Sargsian, a deputy in the parliament in Nagorny Karabakh.

"When you consider the fact that the two opposing poles are recognizing a right to

self-determination - the West in Kosovo and Russia in Abkhazia and South Ossetia

- their joint activity on Nagorny Karabakh will be interesting now."

Armenian-majority Nagorny Karabakh declared independence from Azerbaijan in

1991 and has been de facto separate from Azerbaijan since war ended in 1994. But no

one, not even Armenia, has recognised the territory as an independent state.

The Nagorny Karabakh Republic has for years been part of an informal "Commonwealth

of Independent States-2", maintaining links with the three other post-Soviet unrecognised

territories of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transdniestria. They sent observers to each

other's elections and conducted high-level meetings.

About three years ago, Nagorny Karabakh began to distance itself a little from the others,

saying that there were differences between the conflicts.

However, this did not prevent the Karabakhi leadership from congratulating the Abkhaz

and South Ossetians on their recognition by Moscow. Karabakh's president Bako Sahakian

told his counterparts Sergei Bagapsh and Eduard Kokoity, "The people of Karabakh have

received this long-awaited news with sincere joy." He expressed the hope that "international

recognition of independence will give a new impulse to the development and prosperity of

our brotherly countries".

Nagorny Karabakh's foreign ministry also issued a statement welcoming the developments

and expressing the hope that "all powers interested in the peace of the region will draw

conclusions from events that have occurred in the South Caucasus and will take real steps

to resolve the problems that exist only by peaceful means and within the framework of regional

stability".

Politicians were more forthright, saying Karabakhis should now pursue the goal of international

recognition more strongly. Parliamentarian Artur Tovmasian said that Nagorny Karabakh had

just as good a case for independence as other breakaway territories.

"We are proposing that recognising the independence of South Ossetia, Abkhazia and - why

not? - Kosovo be put on the agenda of the parliament of the Nagorny Karabakh Republic," he said.

Sargsian, a member of the nationalist Dashnaktsutiun party, agreed that Nagorny Karabakh

should recognise the independence of "all unrecognised state entities", saying that this would

be a step towards reconciling the interests of Washington and Moscow.

Politician and humanitarian activist Karen Ohanjanian also argued for recognition of unrecognised

territories, regardless of their international allegiances, "so that all people on earth can live in one

mutually agreed world order".

An important issue that arose in a public meeting in Stepanakert to discuss events in Georgia was

whether Armenia should not now recognise the independence of Nagorny Karabakh, and whether

Yerevan could recognise the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia without hurting its

relations with Georgia.

The Georgian crisis had already caused a fuel shortage in Karabakh. "I was supposed to go to

work in Yerevan and it was hard for me to find fuel at double the price," said Aren Baghdasarian,

a driver. "There was also a problem in Yerevan. People said that a bridge in Georgia had been

blown up and petrol was not being imported."

Baghdasarian said that many of his friends were predicting there might also be shortages of flour

and gas.

In Karabakh courtyards and offices, the Georgian conflict has dominated conversations over the

last month and also reawakened memories of their own war of the early Nineties.

Ruzanna Khachatrian, a shop assistant, said that she cried when she saw broadcasts from South

Ossetia on television. "I remembered how we lived with rats in the cellars when they were bombing

us with the same kinds of Grad [rocket-launcher] artillery and planes and how every day innocent old

people, women and children were dying," she said. "I watched television and didn't know how to

help these people and stop this bloodshed. It was terrible!"

Svetlana Danielian, an economist, said, "If Georgia had been successful, the Azerbaijanis could

have gone down the same route. Although I understand that our army is stronger, all the same no one,

I think, wants to live through yet another war.

"I'm angry that no one either here or in Azerbaijan takes into account the opinion of ordinary people.

I'm angry that thousands of lives can be cut short because of the ambitions of two or three powers.

But if war does start, we will still have to resist because we have no other place in this world except

Karabakh."

Former presidential candidate Masis Mailian, now an independent expert, said that he hoped the

Georgian crisis would "cool hotheads" in Azerbaijan and elsewhere who thought they could retake

breakaway territories by force. He said it had also revealed the weakness of international

conflict-prevention efforts in the Caucasus.

"Events in South Ossetia have shown up the low effectiveness of international mechanisms to

stabilise the situation in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone," said Mailian. "The UN Security Council

has been unable to take any proper decisions."

Political analyst David Babayan said that he hoped recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia would

set a precedent for Nagorny Karabakh but argued that this was not the most important point.

"Recognition for Karabakh is only a matter of time, but fortunately people in Nagorny Karabakh are

already ridding themselves of the so-called 'non-recognition complex' and they do not link their future

exclusively to the recognition of our independence. The reverse is true - they think of recognition as

something that follows on from achieving a certain level of statehood."

Karine Ohanian is a correspondent with Demo newspaper in Nagorny Karabakh.

ABDULLAH GUL: "ARMENIANS ARE INCLINED TO LEAVE THE OCCUPIED AZERBAIJANI

TERRITORIES"
Azeri Press Agency
Sept 11 2008
Azerbaijan

Ankara - APA. Turkish President Abdullah Gul, who had ended his
short-term visit to Azerbaijan and returned to Ankara, briefed a
group of media representatives on board the plane.

APA reports quoting Turkish media that Abdullah Gul said Turkey's
policy concerning Nagorno Karabakh had not changed.

"Azeris should not worry. Turkey has always supported Azerbaijan's
struggle at the sacrifice of its interests. We are parts of Turkish
nation," he said.

Abdullah Gul said he respected the strictures voiced in Turkey and
Azerbaijan over his visit to Armenia.

"Isn't this visit important if we achieve solution to the problem
and Azerbaijan's territorial integrity is restored? We discussed with
Sarkisian the situation in the Caucasus, problems between Azerbaijan
and Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh conflict," he said.

Turkish President said Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian wanted the
problems with Azerbaijan to be solved.

"Armenians are inclined to leave the occupied Azerbaijani
territories. I felt this at the meeting with Sarkisian. Of course,
the refugees will return and occupation will end," he said.

Abdullah Gul also underlined that he was satisfied with his Azerbaijani
counterpart Ilham Aliyev's position.


AZERBAIJAN HOPES FOR SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT
ITAR-TASS
Sept 11 2008
Russia

BAKU, September 11 (Itar-Tass) - Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev
hopes that the conflict in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh
will eventually be settled.

"If we settle this conflict, which I hope we will manage to do, all
countries of the region will develop much faster," Aliyev said on
Wednesday after talking with his Turkish opposite number Abdullah Gul.

President Aliyev believes that a totally new situation will emerge
in the entire region if the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is solved.

"Cooperation, stability, new economic and political initiatives, the
opening of communications - in other words, peace and prosperity will
be ensured for the region," the Azeri president went on to say. He
emphasized the despite more than 15 years of fruitless negotiations
Azerbaijan remains committed to a peaceful settlement. At the same
time, he noted that the settlement could only be based on the norms
and principles of international law.

"We want peace, stability and tranquillity in the region so as all
the countries situated in it could establish normal relations with
each other. For that, the political leadership in Armenia should show
the will and make wise steps," President Aliyev said.

Aliyev said that he and Turkish President Abdullah Gul had a common
opinion that Armenia's new political leadership would continue efforts
to settle the conflicts.

"There are encouraging factors, and there is information that inspires
hopes. course, I wouldn't like to ride before the hounds but we are
looking to the future with rising hopes. I would like to believe that
the efforts buy Azerbaijan, Armenian and other countries will enable
us to secure peace in the region," President Aliyev went on to day.

In the meantime, his Turkish opposite number Abdullah Gul believes
that new opportunities have opened for settling the conflict in
Nagorno-Karabakh.

President Gul told a briefing after talks with Azerbaijani President
Ilkham Aliyev on Wednesday that he had become increasingly convinced
in his opinion after his recent visit to Armenia. He called for the
liberation of the "occupied Azerbaijani territories".

The Turkish president is convinced that the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict would allow all countries of the region to get involved in
major energy transportation projects. "If the mood of cooperation
prevails in the region over hostility, it will serve the interests
of all countries in the Caucasus," Abdullah Gul emphasized.

He said that his talks with President Aliyev had been focused on
bilateral relations and the new situation in the Caucasus that
emerged after the last month events in Georgia. President Abdullah
Gul noted the high level of relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan
in all spheres.

He said that politically Turkey has always been close to Azerbaijan
and will continue to be in future.

The Turkish president added that the two countries were demonstrating
strong will to implement major economic projects that will contribute
to the region's development.

THE TURKISH PRESIDENT INSPIRED BY THE VISIT TO YEREVAN

EXPRESSED "HOPES" FOR SETTLEMENT OF THE FROZEN CONFLICTS
Azerbaijan Business Center
Sept 11 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was in the center
of attention during yesterday's discussion between Presidents Ilham
Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Abdullah Gul of Turkey in Baku.

I.Aliyev said that today economies of Turkey and Azerbaijan are so
strong that nothing could influence their successful development, but
if they can settle the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, which I hope for,
then the two countries' development will be more intensive. We want
that. We aim at peacemaking in the region. I am saying again: to do
that we only need the will and Armenian Government to make wise steps.

Both Presidents are in opinion that new Armenian Government will keep
making efforts to solve the problem.

"There are definite encouraging factors and information. For sure,
I would not like to pass ahead of the events, but we are looking
at future with growing hopes. I want to believe that thanks to the
efforts of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia as well as other countries we
will provide the peace in the region," I.Aliyev said.

Abdullah Gul said that the main subject is a new situation appeared.

"After the Georgian events we, as statesmen and leaders, need
to analyze the situation correctly and thoroughly and display the
politic will. I hope Nagorno-Karabakh problem will be solved through
the dialogue, mutual understanding and reciprocal meetings. We think
that there is a new opportunity appeared for regulating the problem
that has not found its solution during 17 passed years. From that
point of view I returned from Armenia with hopes. I believe the
conflict will be solved by means of meetings," A.Gul said.

The further solution format has to take into account territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan.

"Undoubtedly, the release of occupied lands will be a
large step causing very efficient economic cooperation in the
region. Pipelines and railways we were talking about will cover the
whole Caucasus. Therefore, we need to estimate a new opportunity and
not to continue "frozen conflicts", but to regulate them. I hope the
regional countries will estimate it well by preferring peaceful ways,"
A.Gul said.

The Turkish President for the first time visited Yerevan on September 6
to watch the football match between Turkish and Armenian teams. Within
his "sport-tour" he held consultations with the President of Armenia
Serzh Sargsyan and invited him to watch the reciprocal match in 2009.

In the end of consultations Armenia declared that in 2009 it could
start power export to Turkey. Its source is nuclear power plant,
degreasing of which was objected by Azerbaijan.

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