«Azg» (Yerevan), December, 9th, 2005.

 

 

VLADIMIR KAZIMIROV'S SPEECH AT CONFERENCE

'ARMENIA-RUSSIA. A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE. TECHNOLOGIES OF COOPERATION'

(YEREVAN, NOVEMBER, 29TH, 2005)

 

 

English and Russians versions of Kazimirov's speech are posted without abridgment

 

 

I would like to suggest to pass from a jungle of geopolitics or speculative political science to things rather simple but altogether important and sensitive.

I represent here the Association of the Russian Diplomats as the vice-president of its board but I act exclusively on my behalf. As an ambassador in retirement it is easier for me to express my thoughts even on such painful theme as Nagorno Karabakh. Not everything I'll tell is over doubt but I would ask you to pay attention to the given circle of issues.

One of these days I sent an open letter to the Azerbaijani and Armenian public organizations on the conflict in Karabakh titled "Second breath to national diplomacy!" Briefly, about its essence:

The regular break (this time because of elective campaigns in Azerbaijan and Armenia) in the Karabakh regulation comes to the end. Ahead is the moment of true - 2006. In 2007-2008 new elections will block the process in both states. But in 2006 too the main obstacle for settlement - excessively hard lines of the parties - is still taking effect. But it's important to emphasize that both peoples lose more from the fact of the unsettled conflict than from absolutely inevitable balanced concessions.

As in 1994 we needed "parties of peace" to stop the war, (we prepared then the shift of public opinion to the termination of bloodshed), now we need parties of realism and flexibility and persistent explanatory even educational work.

What's the sense of establishing the fact that the society is not ready to concessions? It is necessary to prepare it for them. Even when keeping all contacts of the parties under wraps, there is room for NGOs - the national diplomacy. Members of the NGOs are devoted, far-sighted and initiative people. They can help the heads of the parties to prepare ground for a political maneuver and balanced concessions. Without it the sides will hardly make progress. Official positions are rigid; contacts are broken off. Only NGOs can revive dialogue, soften the atmosphere and put forward "tough" issues.

Here are only some possible directions for their work:

1) Destiny of Nagorno Karabakh - a principal cause of the conflict and the main controversial problem. There are only three ways for its decision: two forceful ("at any cost" or by the right of "winner") and only one reasonable. It's important to categorically reject both of the forceful approaches, to instill it in consciousness of both peoples and the international community. The settlement of this issue is comprehensible only if the will of population of Nagorno Karabakh is considered!

2) Only participants of "national diplomacy" can tell now everybody that Azerbaijanis and Armenians will have to live side by side for centuries and it is better to lead a good-neighborly coexistence than a hostile. So far nobody is able to designate the strategic target - the historical reconciliation of the two people. It is not within the state leaders' grasp yet, and the peoples are not given normal prospect (in fact, contradictions between the Russians and Germans, the French and Germans were far more acute!).

3) NGOs should place the priority of reason and suspension over emotions and cries of pseudo-patriots, to shut up their radicals. One can object: lot of blood was spilled! But those have even more! Is it possible to measure the righteousness of a case by the number of victims and losses of the sides?

4) It is important to overcome the conceit of winners in some Armenians and thirst for revenge in Azerbaijanis. There are no winners here but only people who has suffered from conflicts. Look more widely and more deeply and you will see a tragic draw: there are no Armenians in Nakhichevan and no Azeris in Nagorno Karabakh.

5) Formerly, both people used to live together. Exasperation of war has led to delimitation. Ethnic cleansings are unacceptable during war and especially in peacetime. But what to do now? We need special discretion not to run into new complications. It's dangerous to haste with reunification.

6) We especially need adherence to peaceful means in settling any controversial issue. Each party constantly alludes to a favorite principle (one to the territorial integrity, the other to the right of self-determination).

But why they forget about two other principles particularly important in disputed situations: the peaceful settlement of disputes + abstention of force and threats by force. Those are the very principles they should stick to! They are to come first!

"National diplomacy" - for humanistic, anti-militant ideas, against any negative phenomena: tension, occupation, arms race and power atavisms. Initially, It is vicious to count on power in relations between peoples but nowadays it all is more ill-considered and dangerous.

7) The world lives in a different century with absolutely different values: democracy, tolerance, contacts, flexibility, compromises. National diplomacy promotes these values.

8) All sane people stand for restoration and fostering of contacts between Azerbaijanis and Armenians. Other approaches simply have no future. In spite of obstacles the most various forms of dialogue between Azeri and Armenian NGOs are useful. Including meetings abroad and, certainly, in Russia (at times with assistance of both diasporas).

9) It is necessary to put it once and for all that the parties should carry out agreements. On February 6, 1995, one single agreement was signed under aegis of OSCE about strengthening the cease-fire regime and about the order of settlement of incidents on the contact line. Incidents claim lives servicemen and civilians.

It is simply unbelievable that the three parties have not been carrying out this agreement for many years, and the OSCE shows total indifference to this. Such irresponsibility of the parties and OSCE is inadmissible. These days I again received acknowledgement, that Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh are ready to renew fulfillment of the agreement if the Azerbaijani sides does the same.

One of these days the foreign ministers of the OSCE member states will meet in Ljubljana. I would like to see the ministers correcting this situation. Signed agreements have to be fulfilled! Why sign agreements if the conflicting parties are not going to carry them out?

Besides, one of the sides has more than once broken arrangements. Pactus sun servando. One cannot strive for Europe with such an "Asian" heritage! (I beg the Asians' pardon toward who I feel deep respect).

It is only an approximate frame of actions for national diplomacy on Karabakh. Confidentiality of contacts between Baku and Yerevan is not an obstacle for works on such a wide front.

By order from above, famous intellectual N. Bahmanov has called my appeal provocative and has emphasized that NGOs do not play supposedly any role in settlement. Someone would like they did not play. But there are also other responses from both sides.

Rounding off, I would like to tell that NGOs can and should play a role, first of all, in prevention of a new war. To show perniciousness of incidents, aggressive rhetoric, arms race and other preparations for war. For 2-3 more years direct war will not be a threat because of balance of forces of the parties. The international community with assistance of NGOs should make its resumption, even accidental, impossible for the years to come.

It is necessary to encourage in every possible way contacts between Azerbaijanis and Armenians, to use any public and other forums and appeal to the UN Security Council, the G8, OSCE, to the Council of Europe, etc., to overcome planting total negativism. It demands indefatigable work but preventive is better than treatment.

Because of obvious deficiency of direct contacts with Azerbaijanis, Armenians seem should to go after chances of meetings in Russia and other countries. The Association for Foreign Policy, Association of the Russian Diplomats and the World Peace Organization organized round tables in Moscow in 2003-2004 on Karabakh regulation. They still consider public assistance important for the resolution of the conflict and will hold a new round table in April, 2006. The Azerbaijani side is presented on it by leading political scientists. If the Union of Armenians of Russia will not manage to help 6-7 high-grade experts from Yerevan and Stepanakert arrive, we shall address directly to the Armenians.

Thank you.