In his interview with Deutsche Welle, Director of the Strategic Studies Center under the Azerbaijani President Elhan Nuriyev expressed discontent with Europe’s position on the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. He reproached the European community for not exerting due pressure on Yerevan for the problem to be resolved as soon as possible.

According to him, Europe is implementing a double standard policy, which is immoral in the 21st century. He supposes that the reason for the European community’s reserved attitude is a special geopolitical situation in the region, as well as fears of a clash of the conflicting parties’ interests. Nuriyev reproached Armenian leaders with political blindness. He claims he has never heard of an Armenian strategy of settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Asim Mollazade, Chairman of the opposition Party for Democratic Reforms, stated that Baku was ready for a peaceful settlement of the conflict long ago – with Azerbaijan’s national interests considered. “We can live is peace and accord, and history proves that. An Armenian church is standing in the center of Baku. We invite Armenia to sign a peace treaty,” he said.

The Azeri experts stressed that the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will not only facilitate stabilization in the South Caucasus and enable Azerbaijan to spare huge funds. The country has to spend huge funds on defense because of Nagorno-Karabakh, but the funds might be directed to social and education programs, welfare improvemen, Mollazade said.

Dr. Phil. Uwe Halbach of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik), who participated in the Berlin conference “New geopolitical and economic cooperation in the South Caucasus: a view from Azerbaijan” pointed out that excluding Nagorno-Karabakh from the settlement process was a blunder.

Mr. Johannes Regenbrecht, Head of the South Caucasus and Central Asia Division, German Foreign Office, stated that the sides are not quite ready for a compromise, which impedes progress in Karabakh peace process. He called on the conflicting parties to draft an agreement on the withdrawal of the troops from the territories under the Armenia’s control.

T.P.