On May 22 Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan during a lengthy press conference made a “shocking” statement – recognizing Azerbaijan’s 86,600 square kilometer territory. He said. “The 86,600 square kilometers includes also Karabakh,”  and he continued “assuming that Azerbaijan recognizes Armenia’s 29,800-square-kilometer territory,” 

At the same news conference he also said. “But it must also be noted that we are saying the issue of the rights and security of Karabakh’s Armenians must be discussed in a Baku-Stepanakert format.”

Pashinyan again stressed the need for the “creation of international mechanisms for such talks between the Azerbaijani government and Karabakh’s leadership”. Yerevan, he explained, is specifically seeking international guarantees against “ethnic cleansing” the Armenian-populated region planned by Baku. (All the quotes were interpretations from the Armenian text by reliable English language internet sources and the emphasis is mine)

As expected in a joint statement, the five political parties represented in the Karabakh parliament warned Pashinyan against formally recognizing Karabakh as a part of Azerbaijan. They said such a deal would be “devoid of legal basis.”

In  Pashinyan’s statement I highlighted three issues. First, the recognition of Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan territory, Second Karabakh and Azerbaijan direct negotiation format, and the third international guarantees against ethnic cleansing the Armenian population in Karabakh

Needless to say, the most “shocking” news was the first issue, the recognition of Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan. A brief history indicates that since 1991 Karabakh has declared itself an independent republic with an Armenian name as Republic of Artsakh with a population of about 120,000 people with about 4000 square kilometer territory. It has a parliament, a president,  a government with all ministries, and an army. So far no government has recognized it as an independent state and none will.

Azerbaijan authorities refuses to negotiate with the “illegal” Artsakh government and adamantly claiming Karabakh as Azerbaijan territory. President Ilham Aliyev  constantly demands the dissolution of the “illegal” government of Artsakh  otherwise he threatens to occupy it by force. (Some negotiations have taken place between Azerbaijani authorities and some representatives of Artsakh Armenians for some specific issues but I do not know in what format.). 

Does Armenia’s recognition of Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan help or hurt the negotiating process between Azerbaijan and Artsakh authorities?

First let me say that ALL previous agreements negotiated by Armenian authorities were REJECTED by Artsakh authorities. The following confrontation between Artsakh leadership and then President  of Armenia Serj Sargsyan as told by president of Artsakh  Parliament Artur Tovmassyan best exemplifies the stands of Artsakh and Armenia leadership 

“2016ի Ապրիլեան պատերազմից յետոյ ՀՀ երրորդ նախագահ Սերժ Սարգսեանը ԱՀ նախագահ Բակո Սահակեանի հետ հանդիպեցին 22 պատգամաւորների հետ: Սերժ Սարգսեանը յորդորեց մեզ համաձայնել եօթ շրջանների յանձմանը: Մենք առարկեցինք, որ Մադրիդեան սկզբունքները չեն արտայայտում հայ ժողովրդի արմատական շահերը:

Նա էլ ասաց՛ դուք բազմաթիւ անգամ լսել էք «Ղարս, Ղարս» երգը, եթէ հրաժարւում էք Մադրիդեան սկզբունքներից, ապա մի օր կը լսէք «Ստեփանակերտ, Սթեփանակերտ» երգը». Here a loose translation

“In 2016 after April war, Serj Sargsyan, the third president of Armenia, met with Artsakh president Bako Sahakyan and 22 members of Artsakh parliament. Serj Sargsyan advised us to agree to hand over the the seven occupied districts. We argued that the the Madrid principals do not express the fundamental rights of the Armenian people.

And he said. Many many times you have heard the “Kars, Kars” song. If you do not  agree with the Madrid principal then one day you will hear “Stepanakert”, “Stepanakert” song”

Thank God so far it has not happened. But may God forbid it could happen. (The “Kars, Kars” song is about the loss of city of Kars to Turks and the last time it happened was in 1920 October 30 during the reign of all powerful ARF Bureau government headed by Prime Minster Hamo Ohanjanian, Rupen Der Minassian as Defense Minster, and Simon Vratsian as Agriculture and Territorial Administration Minster ). 

Yes it is about time for the leaders of Artsakh to step up to the plate, so to speak, and do the negotiation themselves. The guiding principal must be to best safeguard the security and the safety of the people of Artsakh which is basically the third point that I highlighted, “the international guaranties against ethnic cleansing of the Armenian people in Karabakh”.

It is worth repeating that peoples security and safety must be the priority and not the land. Here there is no room for the “not one centimeter” ultra nationalist, but, lots of room for peace seeker to explore various options in cooperation with the international governments representatives that want peace and not war. They should strive to find a format and convince president Aliyev that a negotiate settlement is the best solution not only for Azerbaijan and Karabakh but also for the whole region.

ALL the International governments want peace and not war because non of them is willing sacrifice a single solder for the war in Karabakh. Not the Russians, not the Iranians, not the Georgians, not the Europeans and not the United States. They all want peace for the whole region first and foremost – for their own interests. This is the realty. Let us face it with courage, wisdom and optimism.

It is said, when there is a will, there is a way out. Always.

Zohrab Baibo Sarkissian