“Vienna Meeting with no Results to Become an Act of Forgiveness of Aggressor Azerbaijan”

Interview with Modest Kolerov, Russian political analyst, editor-in-chief of Regnum news agency, first class advisor of Russian Federation.

Mr. Kolerov, it’s known that Aliyev-Sargsyan meeting is planned in Vienna on May 16 with the participation of  John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State, Sergey Lavrov, RF MFA, and Jean-Marc Ayrault, French Minister of Foreign Affairs, during which ways of strengthening of ceasefire regime maintenance and acquisition of trust will be discussed, which, according to them, will restore negotiations around fundamental principles of the issue settlement. That is, change of level in the negotiations within OSCE MG is recorded as well, when a meeting on ministerial level is anticipated. In your opinion, what may be anticipated from this meeting, and generally, how do you assess the diplomatic process following the April war?

I consider this meeting is an act of forgiveness of the aggressor. Negotiations to be launched in Vienna create a precedent for the April war to be resumed every month, as violation of negotiations by Azerbaijan can’t be restored without additional preconditions. We’ll see on May 16 what additional conditions have been put forward to Azerbaijan. If there are no additional conditions, it’ll mean forgiving the aggressor. If some result is recorded due to negotiations, we’ll first of all observe it in the resolutions of deploying a monitoring mission on the Line of Contact, as a participant of negotiations, resolutions on NK status rising. If these issues aren’t settled, the meeting will be useless. Sharp conditions should be put forward before Azerbaijan, otherwise, it’s useless to meet the Azerbaijani president.

These days NK participation in negotiations is strongly highlighted. Do you observe any possibility to enlarge the negotiation format, particularly, when the target for April attack was Nagorno-Karabakh?

Until recently its main opponent was Yerevan. Hopefully, Yerevan has changed its disposition. Thus, a consolidated disposition of the Co-chairs and Yerevan is being established in the negotiation process. In this case, obviously, the Azerbaijani side will appear in a lonely status. Thus, it will have to develop ways to reflect to them. Participation of NK in negotiations is a necessity. If my expectations are justified, then the May 16 meeting may be considered justified, if not, that meeting is superfluous and harmful, which only boosts the aggressor. Conditions should be put forward before the aggressor, and we anticipate it.

How do you assess Moscow’s mediation throughout this period, which are much discussed and criticized in Yerevan?

I’d like the US mediation to be more discussed in Armenia, as recently J.Warlick, OSCE MG Co-chair of the USA, stated, that negotiations should be resumed without additional preconditions. He gave such a direct, negative reply to Serzh Sargsyan’s proposals, also regarding the fact, that some security guarantees are needed to resume negotiations. Warlick made quite a different statement, however, it wasn’t so widely discussed in Yerevan, than Moscow’s efforts. Why? I don’t know, as Moscow is a close friend, and it may be discussed, and the USA is a king, God and general, dispositions of which aren’t discussed.

Russian factor is being much discussed due to the reason mentioned by you, out of Armenia-Russia strategic partnership and Russia’s policy of selling armaments to the conflicting sides.

Armaments selling is one thing, mediation—another. Discussion of Russia’s mediation effort separately from the USA is a demagogy. It’s not right. Armenia should be independent from everyone, both from Russia and the USA, shouldn’t it?

Mr. Kolerov, one of Azerbaijani media outlets reported news, that these days Russia is supplying “Vena” and other armaments to Azerbaijan. How should this be understood?

I consider that resource is a propagandist one, belonging to Azerbaijani president, which is directly controlled by special services. If you intend to support the adversary to disseminate its information, then you may make reference to that resource and comment on it.

However, there is nothing new regarding Russia-Azerbaijan armaments selling, especially, when we know that Dmitri Rogozin, RF Deputy PM, was in Baku 1.5 year ago, attempting to finalize arms selling process. Moreover, information was being circulated, that Azerbaijan isn’t able to pay for the new supplies, and Russia was demanding to pay. By the way, Russian median outlets were reporting on that, and not the Azerbaijani ones.

I’m suspicious, that presently there is no any supply, and for the very reason that Azerbaijani media started to suddenly circulate it. If it was reliable information, Azerbaijani MFA or official press services would have informed about that.

By Araks Martirosyan