American diplomat: Both Yerevan and Baku consider the problem around  Nagorno-Karabakh through the prism of retaining power

ArmInfo.Both Yerevan and Baku consider the problem around Nagorno-Karabakh through the prism of retaining power. This opinion was expressed in an interview with the Armenian service of the Voice of America by the former interim  co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group from the United States Richard  Hoagland, referring to the latest escalation on the  Armenian-Azerbaijani state border.

"I am closely following the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani  state border, since in 2017 I served as the OSCE MG interim co-chair  from the United States. The peculiarity of these clashes is that the  use of force did not take place on the contact line of the  Karabakh-Azerbaijani troops, but in a different place. (on the  Armenian-Azerbaijani state border - ed. note) Why did this happen? I  think this is a question that no one has an answer to. I talked with  many experts, but no one has yet an answer why the tension occurred  on the international border. " the diplomat said. To clarify whether  this was a planned action or whether everything happened  spontaneously, Hoagland expressed his conviction that it was hardly  an accident, since in case there were accidental shots, there is a  means of communication through which one can establish contact and  try to clarify the situation, which did not happen.  "One thing is  obvious, it is not clear which side started the provocation. But, it  must be stated that this is a convenient time, since all countries  are busy with their own problems due to a new type of coronavirus  pandemic," the American diplomat said.

When asked what the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs can do to avoid such  incidents in the future, and how proportionate their reaction was,  Hoagland informed that he had held an informal conversation with the  Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej  Kasprzyk and added that Kasprzyk's office is now unable to monitor  conflict zone. "But, the current situation is fundamentally different  from the previous ones. The Minsk mediators have made serious efforts  to de-escalate the situation and return the status quo. But, I  believe that the Minsk mediators cannot solve this problem until  there is no will of the parties," he said. At the same time, he  proposed to submit the issue to the UN as a solution, and transfer  Artsakh to the UN protectorate for some time until the passions  subside and the parties are ready for concessions.

Speaking about dissatisfaction with the mediation activities of the  co-chairs, Hoagland stated that even with the best intentions, in the  absence of assistance from the states involved in the conflict and  such a power as Russia, the OSCE Minsk Group simply cannot solve this  problem. He recalled the presence of 4 UN Security Council  resolutions on the Karabakh issue, the so-called Madrid principles,  which offer some solutions. "Even Russian Foreign Minister Sergei  Lavrov said that until then the parties are not ready to resolve this  issue on the basis of mutual compromises, this situation will  continue, and in which, unfortunately, civil society may be  involved," the American diplomat said.

Referring to the role of Russia in the settlement of the Karabakh  conflict, Hoagland said that it would be irresponsible to claim that  Russia is the cause of this conflict. "Nevertheless, if we stop and  look back, we will see a number of obvious circumstances. First,  Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that the collapse of  the USSR was the biggest catastrophe of the last century. He  periodically declares that the countries of the post-Soviet space,  including both Armenia and Azerbaijan, are in the special zone of  attention of Russia. We can conditionally call this zone a privileged  one, and where there are many unresolved conflicts. My personal  opinion is that if Russia really wanted to resolve this conflict, it  would probably take more active steps in this direction ",  said the  American diplomat.

Speaking about the role of Turkey in the settlement and its benefits,  Hoagland pointed to the absence of any evidence of Turkey's direct  involvement in the Karabakh conflict. "Of course, we all know that  Azerbaijan and Turkey are close allies, but Armenia and Russia are  also allies. There are other actors in the region who may benefit  from this situation. I would like to repeat that a compromise can be  reached only if when the leaderships of the two countries, official  Yerevan and Baku, announce that the time has come to solve the  problem, but unfortunately both Yerevan and Baku consider the problem  in the prism of retaining power.  There are also communities that  have an even more radical position than the authorities. Incidents  between representatives of the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities  in Los Angeles and on the streets of Moscow are evidence of my words.  And this all leads to even greater problems, "Hoagland said.

When asked to assess the Turkish-Azerbaijani military exercises, and  Russia's verification of the combat readiness of troops in the  Southern Military District, the American diplomat pointed to the  danger of such exercises, which signals that neither side is ready  for mutual concessions. "The danger lies in the fact that the  situation could get out of control," he said, adding that one must be  careful, because if this local conflict flares up and grows, it could  involve Russia and Turkey, which in turn will cause Iran's concern.