ArmInfo.Artsakh security expert, former adviser to the Artsakh Foreign Minister Hrachya Arzumanyan gave an assessment of the trilateral meeting of the Head of the European Council and the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, which took place yesterday in Brussels.
According to the expert, summing up the results, it can be stated that Europe has clearly and unequivocally stated that the South Caucasus is within its interest area and will sooner or later enter European structures.
"Secondly, the EU offered its platform not only for the economic integration of the South Caucasus, but also for solving the problem of borders - demarcation and delimitation, with the understanding that this is a long process.
Thirdly, all processes in the region, including the opening of communications, should be based on respect for the sovereignty of countries and the principle of reciprocity, "Arzumanyan stressed.
At the same time, he paid special attention to that part of the statement of the President of the European Council following the results of the trilateral meeting, which notes that the problem of restoring the communication infrastructure between Armenia and Azerbaijan is considered in the broader context of the entire South Caucasus.
"President Michel also emphasised the importance of restoring communications infrastructure between Armenia and Azerbaijan in particular and the South Caucasus more broadly, while fully respecting the sovereignty of all countries".
"This gives the Armenian side the opportunity to link this problem with the need for Armenia to get out of the communication blockade and isolation. If you want communication with Nakhichevan, let's solve this problem together with the problem of Armenia's access to the Mediterranean ports of Turkey, the Black Sea ports of Georgia, the ports of the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean of Iran.
Armenian diplomacy may speak of the need for a "package" solution to the problems of the region's communication infrastructure. Moreover, first the unblocking of Armenia, and then the problem of direct communication between Turkey and Azerbaijan, which have other communications through Georgia and Iran. Biden / the United States has already hinted to Erdogan / Turkey that the latter should follow this path, "the expert said.
He considers the indication of the critical importance of humanitarian problems for achieving peace in the region no less significant. According to the expert, together with the preliminary decision of the UN international court, this gives Armenian diplomacy additional opportunities to put pressure on the Russian Federation and Azerbaijan in the issue of Armenian refugees and other humanitarian issues.
" There is absolutely nothing about Artsakh in the statement. The Artsakh problem is trimmed from the problem of unblocking communications and clarifying the borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Artsakh problem, like the previous decades, is dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Group.
If we briefly summarize the statement of the President of the European Council Charles Michel and the press conference of Stoltenberg and Aliyev at the NATO Headquarters, it can be affirmed that the attempt of the Russian Federation and Turkey to monopolize the South Caucasus is failing. In addition, the attempt of the Russian Federation to declare its special role in determining the borders in the region also fails. The fussy attempt of the President of the Russian Federation to declare the special rights of the Russian Federation in Sochi in this matter are taken into account, nothing more, " Arzumanyan is convinced.
At the same time, he points out that the attempts of the President of Azerbaijan to treat Europea bodies as a casino where you can place bets, play poker, an integral part of which is deception, and try to cheat with cards have failed. The political scientist believes that they although very politely, but made it clear to Aliyev, that there are principles that must be observed.
"Moreover, Russia is leaving the South Caucasus. The only instrument that allows it to stay in the region is its military presence in Armenia - military force. But as the leader of the world proletariat said, you can test the situation with a bayonet, conquer a region, but you will not be able to keep it. We need another toolkit, which is not there, "Arzumanyan said.
According to him, the inevitability of the RF withdrawal and the seriousness of the EU's intentions create the risk of military destabilization of the region by the Russian-Turkish alliance. "The alliance may well agree to overturn the board. The role of Turkey is important here, what it chooses is to be content with what has already been achieved or try to take the maximum, following the path of eliminating Armenian state sovereignty," the expert added, expressing conviction that in the light of the above-mentioned point, the role of the Armenian Armed Forces and the Armenian people is critical important. In his words, it is necessary to be ready for Sardarapat in Syunik in order to get a chance to restrain the alliance from plans to implement a catastrophic scenario for Armenia. "The Armenian government in this confrontation, at best, does not exist, at worst, it is on the side of the alliance," Arzumanyan summed up on his Facebook page.