Baku seems to never realize that it lost Nagorno Karabakh

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Azeri Foreign Minister once again launched into a tirade: “Azerbaijan expresses its concern to the international partners about the negative impact that the “parliamentary elections” held on May 23 in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan can have on the current process of peaceful settlement of the conflict.” And all this happens despite the fact that Spokesman of the Foreign Ministry of Russia declares Moscow does not believe that the process of peaceful settlement may depend on the elections in Nagorno-Karabakh. Much the same is expressed in the statement of OSCE Minsk Group: “The elections should not preempt the determination of the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh in the broader framework of the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.” But the Azeri Foreign Ministry is of a different opinion, or rather it is unable to acknowledge that there exists a point of view, different from Ilham Aliyev’s outlook of the world and the region. By the way, serious experts and political scientists have long been disregarding the verbal tinsel around the Karabakh conflict, which is as far from being regulated as it was 20 years ago. Neither anyone pays attention to the OSCE Minsk Group official statements, as keep-alive statements are non-binding.

But if we do not really pay any attention to all this (and it is exactly what Nagorno-Karabakh does), it should be noted that almost nobody in the world doubts the right of NKR people to decide their own fate and elect the parliament or the president they need. Hardly is it possible that all the observers took a rose-coloured view of the election, and even more so they were all “bought” by Armenians. Baku is very fond of saying that the Armenian lobby has bought up almost the entire world and now raises its hand against “Islamic solidarity”, of which there is not even a trace. We believe, most of all the Azerbaijanis were “irritated” at the presence of Iranian observers. But how to explain to them that Iran borders on Karabakh and it is necessary for her to know how the elections are held there and what can ever be expected from this neighbor. Turkey shares no border with Karabakh, so Ankara “does not recognize” the elections. But it is simply interesting whether Turkey would send observers to Karabakh if it had a common border with it. Most likely it would, in order to satisfy its own interest.

Here, perhaps, it would be appropriate to recall that 10-15 years ago, the Armenian side very nervously responded to any statements by international bodies. However, time has shown that stock phrases do not cost a penny, otherwise Baku would have long been expelled from the Council of Europe and other organizations for her “undemocratic” elections. And not only Baku...

But there are things that are hardly within the power of Baku, Chisinau or Tbilisi, and they shouldn’t be forgotten. Elections in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as in Abkhazia, South Ossetia or Transnistria were held and will be held as desired by the population of these breakaway republics. Nobody and nothing will ever force the Armenians, Abkhazians and Ossetians to return to the metropolis: too unsuccessful was the attempt to live together. It’s true that they can be made to act against their will, but only in one case, through a war. But even in this case there is no guarantee that it will end successfully for the side that seeks revenge. These are not emotions, but the mere truth: the Azeris will not fight for the sake of Ilham Aliyev to keep his throne, and for the land of Karabakh so the more. As for the world community... it has neither the time nor the willingness to deal with a conflict on the territory of former Soviet Union. And finally, the Republic of Artsakh never seeks recognition as an independent state. The most important thing is that it feels as such.