South Caucasus sensitive to geopolitical developments

PanARMENIAN.Net - The South Caucasus region is directly involved in the sphere of strategic interests of Russia, the U.S., EU, OSCE, NATO and the Collective Security Treaty Organization and sensitive to changes in the relationship between these centers of power, Hayk Kotanjyan told a Black Sea Security Basin conference the Head of the Institute for National Strategic Studies of the RA Defense ministry. In his opinion, the prospects for peace and security in the Caucasus are Madrid principles of the Karabakh settlement based on "the paradigm of war."



He stressed that Armenia participating in various organizations of international security has adopted a balanced approach, its foreign policy initiatives are aimed at increasing the capacity for international support for the stability in South Caucasus.



"The encouraging factor of non-renewal of war in Karabakh, which would undermine the regional security, is the consent of the conflicting parties with the proposal of the OSCE Minsk Group to adopt three main provisions of the UN Charter as basic principles of resolution of the Karabakh conflict: nonuse of force, territorial integrity and self-determination of nations.



The peaceful process in the South Caucasus is affected by the continuous dialogue between heads of states of Armenia and Azerbaijan, and support of presidents of Russia, the United States and France, as well as advice from the co-chairs of the Minsk Group.

Paradigm of war " rather than" the paradigm of peace is in the basis of the settlement and resolution of the Karabakh conflict, he said.



This approach keeps the peaceful resolution of the conflict in the counter-format "the threat of renewed war". To a large extent this can be explained by the fact that the Azerbaijani side as the basic compromise submits its willingness not to resume hostilities.



"This approach, based on "the paradigm of war", lacks incentives for Azerbaijan to counter equivalent compromise aimed at realistic advancement towards lasting peace. This may explain the repeated abuse of the Azerbaijani side of the ceiling of offensive arms established by the CFE Treaty, as well as the open propaganda of intensive preparation of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan to the resumption of war, not only for the domestic audience, but also at the international tribune, " Mr. Kotanjyan said.



However, he stressed that uninterrupted dialogue between Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev is an important tool to resolve the Karabakh conflict, in regard to establishing the atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust in the region.



"A productive dialogue between the U.S. and Russia, President Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev, on the basis of "a paradigm of peace " and the principle of "smart power " opens a unique opportunity for the South Caucasus countries to contribute to the construction of balanced regional security, creating conditions for lasting peace secured through the equivalent mutual compromise, as well as programs for regional and trans-regional cooperation, " Hayk Kotanjyan stressed.