Recently, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elmar Mamedyarov made an announcement:
“Baku is ready to grant the internationally recognized and highest autonomy status to Nagorno Karabagh, as a matter of fact, the same status that Tatarstan has in Russia.”
The Azerbaijani foreign minister also announced that it’s a waste of time to find any other resolution for the Karabagh conflict “when there is already a peaceful resolution.”
Karabagh is used to hearing “absurd” comments made by the Azerbaijani. “168 Hours” asked Minister of Foreign Affairs of Karabagh Georgi Petrosyan for his opinion:
“If that’s not propaganda, then it means that the Azerbaijani government is ready to turn Azerbaijan into a federation. We can hope that the status will be given to the Lezgis, Talish and other ethnic minorities living in Azerbaijan. As for Karabagh, it is worth mentioning that the official Baku can’t give Nagorno Karabagh this or that status because Azerbaijan is incompetent to solve these kinds of issues. The people living in Karabagh determine their legal status. The Azerbaijan-Karabagh conflict started because Azerbaijan wasn’t able to resolve the conflict peacefully and declared war.”
The minister also stated that the official Baku continues neglecting the fact that Karabagh’s independence was declared on December 10, 1991 by a referendum and is the highest value of the people.
“The people of Karabagh have not only defended their country in the obligated war, but have also confirmed their wish to defend their country through the means of presidential and parliamentary elections throughout the past 15 years. Citizens have voted for their candidates and the political parties,” said the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
ARF representative from Karabagh Arthur Mosisyan said the following about Mamedyarov’s announcement:
“This is not the first time we hear such announcements from the Azerbaijani side. This is simply a comparison to a certain subject, in this case Tatarstan. Azerbaijan has always been ready to give the highest autonomy status known in the world. Perhaps Tatarstan’s status is the highest in the world for Mamedyarov. However, the people, authorities and political parties of Karabagh have always emphasized the fact that there is only one status for Karabagh and that’s independence and they will never be subjected to Azerbaijan. I consider Mamedyarov’s announcement as one of his usual announcements.”
Leader of the “Free Homeland” party and head of the “Homeland” faction of the Karabagh National Assembly Arayik Harutyunyan told “168 Hours” that Karabagh won’t accept any proposal made by Azerbaijan if it has nothing to do with Karabagh’s independence.
“I would advise Mamedyarov to give that autonomy right to the ethnic minorities living in Azerbaijan, including the Talish, Kurds and others,” said A. Harutyunyan.
According to head of the Karabagh National Assembly committee on defense, security and law regulation, Rudik Martirosyan, the Karabagh conflict differs from the Abkhazian, Osetian, Middle Dnester and Tatarstan conflicts.
“The history of Nagorno Karabagh is different. Karabagh has never been part of independent Azerbaijan. The foreign minister’s announcement is absurd because a country that has already declared its independence through a referendum can’t be part of another country. In a word, we don’t accept Azerbaijan’s proposal,” he said.