The statement, which Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev made speaking to Rossiya Segodnya—a news agency owned and operated by the Russian government—runs contrary to the rhetoric of the defense minister of Azerbaijan.
Thomas de Waal, a senior associate at the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment, and who specializes primarily in the South Caucasus region expressed such a view, reported Vesti.Az news agency.
He said the concept of raising the status of the then Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (province) to that of an autonomous republic was already discussed in 1988, but it was rejected, and it is hard to imagine that this is more acceptable now.
The British analyst added that the moderate tone of the Azerbaijani president’s speech is more impressive than its content.
De Waal concluded that, even though it is good that Aliyev recognizes the rights of Karabakh Armenians, this is contrary to the rhetoric of the defense minister of Azerbaijan.
Ilham Aliyev had stated about his willingness to give an “autonomy status” to Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh); the latter, however, characterized this statement as ridiculous and pitiful.
