Interview Armlur.am with member of the XIV Riigikogu Urmas Espenberg.
-Mr. Espenberg, there were clashes and shootings in Karabakh and on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in 2016, 2018, July 2020. But this time the clashes are much more intense than the ones we witnessed for the past few decades. Why?
-Hard to say, but it can be growth of Turkish ambissions in area, to restore more powerful islamic empire or Sultanate, second reason can be weakness and this time very passivity from Russian side. Azerbaidjani side of course found probably , that this is good opportunity and rihght time to take back their former territories from Soviet times.
-The UN, the Minsk Group, the EU have all called for an immediate ceasefire yet the fighting continues, why?
-Emotions are high, protectors (armenians) dont give up, attackers (Azerbaidjan) hope to win. Maybe to involve Armenian and Aserbaidjani sides to negotiations, you have to try again and again. Possible sanctions, demilitarised zone, riffles embargo, bank accounts freezing. Mr.Trump is very good at negotiations, but we dont know does he continue presidency. Macroni is also not bad negotiator.
And what expect from the international community?
-Support from international community has extremly very important in moral meaning, finally the fighting sides have to make peace, even its not easy Irani-Iraqi war continued almost 8 years, South Rhodesia fight with Mosambiq, Angola and Zambia even 16 years But there is no ohter way – either endless war or diplomatia so negoisate, negosite, negosiate. Peace demonstrations in many countries EU headquarter, if opossible UN too.
-What you can say about Ankara’s involvement, about the Syrian terrorists?
-Involvement third parties unacceptable, this can do things more worse, bigger conflict, war. Its also unacceptable to use them, inspite these kind of practicies are used in many conflicts. In Libüa, also in Syria itself, Mali Central African Republic.
-Nagorno-Karabakh has been independent for almost 30 years. Why didn’t any country recognize it?
-Everybody knows these are old Armenian territories, but international law unfortunately on side of Azerbaidjan. same case like Crimea, East Ukraine. Soviets especially Stalin made a lot of mess around to set the seeds of potential confclicts everywhere. Here is some historic reasons. There is always exist compromise, first make peace treaty talks, maybe exchange territories in peacful way. It happend in 1960-s then Jordan get Aqaba acess to Red Sea and give Saudi Arabia large portion of dessert. Russian tsaar sold Alaska to USA., etc.
Author- Naira Hovhannisyan