Obama mentions nonexistent compromise in Karabakh settlement

September 9, 2013 - 19:08 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The new U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick passed President Barack Obama’s address to his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev.

In the statement, the U.S. leader urges for new effort to achieve compromise in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement.

Yet another one of Obama’s addresses could have gone unheeded, were it not for the Syria issue.

The President’s letter contains a number of standard phrases, yet some new ones too. “I support a possibility of using the OSCE co-chairs’ abilities in seeking a direct dialogue with Armenia,” the President said, noting that “it’s time to make new efforts in establishing peace in the region based on the compromise already achieved at negotiations.”

It’s hard to say what sort of compromise Obama’s letter implies. If the U.S. leader means the repeatedly voiced theories of Russian pseudo-conspirologists suggesting that “Armenia has already ceded Karabakh,” it’s clear that he learnt nothing about the Karabakh settlement. No one would be particularly surprised, were the letter to mention “20% of territories and millions of refugees.” No doubt, Warlick will bring a similar message to Yerevan. However, instead of busying himself with the settlement of a conflict he is nearly unaware of, Obama would do better to concern himself with saving face, should the Syria venture fall through.

To Washington, Azerbaijan is a mere oil reservoir, which cannot, however, compete with the Persian Gulf reserves and therefore unlikely to cause Obama administration take any serious steps. It’s good for Armenia and NKR, but “very bad” for Azerbaijan, which never abandons attempts to regain control over Karabakh, while trying to get third parties to do its dirty work.

At the meeting with Warlick, Azeri Defence Minister Safar Abiyev complained about NKR, for being “unwilling to return indigenous Azeri lands.” He also recalled the amendment 907 which “hinders the development of Azerbaijan,” in other words, prevents Baku from purchasing weaponry.

Karabakh settlement, as it’s viewed by Azerbaijan and international community is hardly achievable. There is, though, a simple way: to recognize the NKR as a conflicting party, allowing its involvement in negotiations along with Azerbaijan and Armenia. Then it would be possible to agree about a common border as well as the status of Artsakh as an independent state.