Professor: Azeri democratization tool to Karabakh settlement

PanARMENIAN.Net - Professor of Sorbonne University Gérard-François Dumont published an article in Géostratégiques journal, titled “Nagorno Karabakh: geopolitics of unresolved conflict”.

In the article he analyses the origins of Karabakh conflict, the course of the settlement, the achievements of NKR in the state-building and civil society development. The author writes that Karabakh was annexed to Azerbaijan in the early years of the Soviet Union, with Baku authorities further pursuing the policy of ethnic cleansing targeting Armenians in Karabakh.

Dumont focused on the geographical features of Karabakh, the historical background of the conflict, as well as Armenian pogroms in Sumgait.

“Despite the ceasefire treaty, the conflict still remains unresolved. The independent state of Nagorno Karabakh was established simultaneously with the conflict evolution. NKR currently possesses all government institutions,” the article reads.

Dumont further dwelt on the resolution of the conflict in the framework of OSCE Minsk Group, with Azeri murderer Ramil Safarov’s pardon escalating tensions between the conflicting parties. The author deemed NKR’s inclusion in Azerbaijan impossible.

“Azerbaijan emerged as a state in 1918, while old Armenian nation possesses vast political, religious, historical and cultural heritage,” the author writes, urging Baku to start a dialogue and stop using Karabakh problem for the solution to internal problems.

The French professor also slammed Baku’s destructive stance on Stepanakert airport operations and Azeri threats to shoot down civilian aircrafts.

At the end of the article, the author noted democratization of Azerbaijan as a possible tool to Karabakh conflict solution.