ANCA calls for “preparing for the worst” in Karabakh process

PanARMENIAN.Net - Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America Aram Suren Hamparian has commented on the recent developments surrounding the Nagorno Karabakh peace process, calling for preparing for the worst.

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group issued a statement following a meeting with Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign policy chiefs, revealing that the Ministers have agreed upon the necessity of taking concrete measures to prepare the populations for peace. They also said that a possible summit between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia would give a strong impulse to the dynamic of negotiations.

“Rhetoric around "preparing populations for peace" rings hollow unless matched with the transparency needed for the public to actually make informed judgments,” Hamparian said in a Facebook post.

“Without transparency, such calls can come across as something between "you can trust me" and "you don't need to know."

Hamparian then provides a few questions on the matter:

-- Are the Madrid Principles the basis for current talks?

-- What are the outlines of the deal under consideration?

-- What role will Artsakh play in this process?

-- Has Aliyev stepped back from his NeverArtsakh stand?

-- Which elements of a deal are upfront, which are deferred?

-- What enforcement is envisioned for deferred commitments?

-- What guarantees can be offered against renewed aggression?

-- What are the realistic expectations regarding peacekeepers?

More broadly, how would a deal - if implemented - play out, over the short, mid, and long terms?

“For example, if Artsakh were to surrender land/security upfront, would Azerbaijan respond in good faith by keeping its commitments regarding Artsakh's future status. Or would Azerbaijan take this concession as a sign of weakness, leveraging its new advantage on the ground to secure (as Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly pledged) further territorial gains, until all of Artsakh is brought under Baku's control - with or without Armenians?” the ANCA Executive Director continues to question.

“We may hope for the best, but must - given our history and geography - prepare for the worst.

“This is not a time for careless thinking.

“As they say, we need to stay open-minded, but not so open that our brains fall out.”