Head of Shusha City Administration: OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs side with Armenia

Tomorrow will mark a tragic date – 18-year anniversary of Armenian-occupation of Shusha, a cradle of Azerbaijani culture. Are you satisfied with outcomes of the talks on resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?

Of course, I am dissatisfied with outcome of these negotiations. The outcome will satisfy me only when Karabakh will be liberated from the separatist forces and I'll be in my native Shusha. I am dissatisfied with activities of the OSCE Minsk Group and other international organizations in terms of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh problem.

What is your attitude to recent proposals to make Turkey one of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group?

I appreciate proposals to change composition of the co-chairs. Almost 20-year activity of OSCE Minsk Group has not produced any results. We want them to adhere to a fair position. Two of the three mediator countries have recognized "Armenian genocide". The committee of the U.S. Congress took a resolution recognizing the “Armenian Genocide.” This means that all three countries are not impartial mediators and side with Armenia.

The co-chair countries have applied double standards in the Karabakh issue from the very beginning. Under the guise of aid, the United States provides financial support for the Karabakh separatists, bandits and terrorists and they forget about Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh which totals 75 000 people. The members of the Azerbaijani community live in tents and camps, under difficult circumstances. Russia provides free military support to Armenia and France also consistently provides assistance to that country.

And what do you think of the Madrid principles? According to media reports, they envisage liberation of regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh area, but they say nothing about Shusha.

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly declared that the territorial integrity of our country can not be a matter of debate. We believe in policies pursued by our President. Ilham Aliyev will never agree on principles that contradict sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. The Madrid principles call for a phased settlement to the conflict. If these principles violate sovereign rights of Azerbaijan, our President and other authorized persons would have immediately rejected them.

What is your prediction about the fate of the Turkish-Armenian protocols?

I believe that Turkey will never do anything that could harm Azerbaijan. Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan have made it clear to world community that Turkey will not open borders with Armenia until Azerbaijan’s territories are de-occupied. The Armenian problem is common to Azerbaijan and Turkey. We understand that the powerful countries exert pressure on Turkey. But I believe Turks will never betray their brothers.

As for Armenia, the government of this country does not keep its word. It is a puppet in the hands of the diaspora. The money comes from abroad and, as they say, it is diaspora who "orders the music". Thus, it is the diaspora who will instruct the Armenian authorities what to do with the protocols.

On the other hand, Armenia’s entire property is owned by Russia. Armenia is totally dependent on Russia. So, the Armenians have to listen both to the diaspora and Russia. This is the reason for Yerevan’s vague position on the protocols.  Personally, I think the Turkey-Armenia protocols have no prospects.


/Day.Az/