Potential of Armenians and Azerbaijan who have friendly ties must be used
News.Az reprints from Gun.Az an interview with Chairman of the Humanitarian Research Society Avaz Hasanov.
What are your comments on hostile attitudes of Azerbaijani and Armenian societies towards each other?
We face two big issues in terms of resolution of the Karabakh conflict. The first is to liberate the occupied lands and then to build normal ties with Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Of course, there are people who have committed crimes against Azerbaijanis among Armenian politicians and military men. Similarly, there are people in Azerbaijan who have committed some sort of crime against Armenians in the course of the hostilities. If Azerbaijan and Armenia sign a truce some time in future, these crimes will be investigated to determine whether they are crimes against humanity or not.
I think seeing the entire Armenian society and Karabakh Armenians as an enemy because of these people we play into the hands of Armenians. Karabakh Armenians claim that “we try to come closer to Azerbaijan, but it sees us as an enemy. We cannot live together with Azerbaijanis in this case.”
So, we must make efforts so that Armenian community of Nagorno-Karabakh will have willingness to live with Azerbaijanis in future. We must change our rhetoric, way of thinking in relation to them and try to build normal ties with them.
What is people’s diplomacy in the conflict resolution?
People’s diplomacy was more widely used in previous years. But it has weakened over the last five years despite serious advances in negotiating process on an official level. I believe people’s diplomacy can benefit Azerbaijan in the conflict resolution. People dealing with people’s diplomacy do not put forward an official stance.
The countries involved with the OSCE Minsk Group call on Azerbaijani and Armenian leadership to work closely with their civil societies to explain them what they will win and what they will lost after the war ends.
Today it seems unrealistic for any state official to go to Khankandi and introduce himself as a minister in this area and some other senior official. But it would no harm to a country if a leader of some NGO meets simple people, media representatives and even officials there.
This is because this person speaks on his own, but not on behalf of the state. If a country takes advantage of this and sends a message to people living in Nagorno-Karabakh, it can help to normalize ties. Therefore, the authorities should not limit people’s diplomacy. On the contrary, the state should render every support to people who are involved in people’s diplomacy.
Have you tripped to Armenia as a representative of people’s diplomacy?
I visited last Armenia in October last year. I have visited Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia numerous times before. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to trip to Nagorno-Karabakh today.
This is because Nagorno-Karabakh has toughened its stance due to protracted talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Frequent visits of Azerbaijanis to Nagorno-Karabakh can dispel the myth about hostile attitude of Azerbaijanis against Armenians and soften stance of Karabakh Armenians towards Azerbaijan.
Unfortunately, there are certain negative myths about Azerbaijan in Armenian society. Armenian authorities try to assure the public that Azerbaijanis have allegedly forgotten Nagorno-Karabakh, they think about nothing, but war and all Azerbaijanis hate Armenians. Therefore, there is a great need to dispel these myths and arrange trips to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh in order to raise awareness of simple Armenians about realities.
Have the Armenian society changed its attitude towards Azerbaijan to a certain degree compared to previous years?
Both Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh have the same attitude to Azerbaijan. Simply, there is more fear towards Azerbaijan among Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians. Therefore, security is a primary concern for Nagorno-Karabakh. They seem not to be satisfied with any guarantee promised by Azerbaijan.
Armenia is more concerned over how it will determine the destiny of Nagorno-Karabakh with Azerbaijan. Armenians firmly believed that it was easy to tear Nagorno-Karabakh away from Azerbaijan 5 to 10 years ago. But they have eased their claims at present. They think what it needs to be discussed with Azerbaijan to gain independence for Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenians believe that Azerbaijan will agree to a higher status for Nagorno-Karabakh some time in future. Therefore, Azerbaijan should let Armenian society to know that one-sided resolution of the Karabakh conflict will never bring stability to the region. We also must dispel negative myths and views about Azerbaijanis in Armenian public.
Will resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict enable to resume peace and stability in the region?
I think it will be possible to achieve peace in the region in 20-25 years. It is impossible for the region to be independent at the moment as Russia hinders this. Armenian hoped that hydrocarbon reserves of Azerbaijan will reduce and its standing in the region will weaken. But the quite opposite of it happened. Discovery of new deposits in Azerbaijan and country’s stronger position as a transit country shattered hopes of Armenians.
At current stage, both Azerbaijani and Armenian societies should work to normalize ties and come to a common denominator in resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The potential of Azerbaijanis and Armenians who have friendly and acquaintance relations must be used in normalization of relations.
Gun.Az
http://news.az/articles/politics/45167
What are your comments on hostile attitudes of Azerbaijani and Armenian societies towards each other?
We face two big issues in terms of resolution of the Karabakh conflict. The first is to liberate the occupied lands and then to build normal ties with Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Of course, there are people who have committed crimes against Azerbaijanis among Armenian politicians and military men. Similarly, there are people in Azerbaijan who have committed some sort of crime against Armenians in the course of the hostilities. If Azerbaijan and Armenia sign a truce some time in future, these crimes will be investigated to determine whether they are crimes against humanity or not.
I think seeing the entire Armenian society and Karabakh Armenians as an enemy because of these people we play into the hands of Armenians. Karabakh Armenians claim that “we try to come closer to Azerbaijan, but it sees us as an enemy. We cannot live together with Azerbaijanis in this case.”
So, we must make efforts so that Armenian community of Nagorno-Karabakh will have willingness to live with Azerbaijanis in future. We must change our rhetoric, way of thinking in relation to them and try to build normal ties with them.
What is people’s diplomacy in the conflict resolution?
People’s diplomacy was more widely used in previous years. But it has weakened over the last five years despite serious advances in negotiating process on an official level. I believe people’s diplomacy can benefit Azerbaijan in the conflict resolution. People dealing with people’s diplomacy do not put forward an official stance.
The countries involved with the OSCE Minsk Group call on Azerbaijani and Armenian leadership to work closely with their civil societies to explain them what they will win and what they will lost after the war ends.
Today it seems unrealistic for any state official to go to Khankandi and introduce himself as a minister in this area and some other senior official. But it would no harm to a country if a leader of some NGO meets simple people, media representatives and even officials there.
This is because this person speaks on his own, but not on behalf of the state. If a country takes advantage of this and sends a message to people living in Nagorno-Karabakh, it can help to normalize ties. Therefore, the authorities should not limit people’s diplomacy. On the contrary, the state should render every support to people who are involved in people’s diplomacy.
Have you tripped to Armenia as a representative of people’s diplomacy?
I visited last Armenia in October last year. I have visited Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia numerous times before. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to trip to Nagorno-Karabakh today.
This is because Nagorno-Karabakh has toughened its stance due to protracted talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Frequent visits of Azerbaijanis to Nagorno-Karabakh can dispel the myth about hostile attitude of Azerbaijanis against Armenians and soften stance of Karabakh Armenians towards Azerbaijan.
Unfortunately, there are certain negative myths about Azerbaijan in Armenian society. Armenian authorities try to assure the public that Azerbaijanis have allegedly forgotten Nagorno-Karabakh, they think about nothing, but war and all Azerbaijanis hate Armenians. Therefore, there is a great need to dispel these myths and arrange trips to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh in order to raise awareness of simple Armenians about realities.
Have the Armenian society changed its attitude towards Azerbaijan to a certain degree compared to previous years?
Both Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh have the same attitude to Azerbaijan. Simply, there is more fear towards Azerbaijan among Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians. Therefore, security is a primary concern for Nagorno-Karabakh. They seem not to be satisfied with any guarantee promised by Azerbaijan.
Armenia is more concerned over how it will determine the destiny of Nagorno-Karabakh with Azerbaijan. Armenians firmly believed that it was easy to tear Nagorno-Karabakh away from Azerbaijan 5 to 10 years ago. But they have eased their claims at present. They think what it needs to be discussed with Azerbaijan to gain independence for Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenians believe that Azerbaijan will agree to a higher status for Nagorno-Karabakh some time in future. Therefore, Azerbaijan should let Armenian society to know that one-sided resolution of the Karabakh conflict will never bring stability to the region. We also must dispel negative myths and views about Azerbaijanis in Armenian public.
Will resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict enable to resume peace and stability in the region?
I think it will be possible to achieve peace in the region in 20-25 years. It is impossible for the region to be independent at the moment as Russia hinders this. Armenian hoped that hydrocarbon reserves of Azerbaijan will reduce and its standing in the region will weaken. But the quite opposite of it happened. Discovery of new deposits in Azerbaijan and country’s stronger position as a transit country shattered hopes of Armenians.
At current stage, both Azerbaijani and Armenian societies should work to normalize ties and come to a common denominator in resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The potential of Azerbaijanis and Armenians who have friendly and acquaintance relations must be used in normalization of relations.
Gun.Az
http://news.az/articles/politics/45167
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