The president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, is obligated to grant Nagorno-Karabakh a status within Azerbaijan, and this should be one of the important issues of the negotiations. James Warlick, the former US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, expressed such a view on the air of "Factor of Power" program of Armenian News-NEWS.am, when asked what could be the next step in the negotiations on a possible peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan if Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced his recognition of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) as part of Azerbaijan.

According to Warlick, the government of Azerbaijan should discuss with the de facto authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh the most important issues, and such a dialogue, he believes, is extremely important in the matter of status.

It is about granting status within Azerbaijan. There are important rights and guarantees that are necessary for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, and, in that sense, also outside of Nagorno-Karabakh Warlick said. He believes the time will come when Armenians and Azerbaijanis will be able to live peacefully and safely side by side. But for this, confidence-building measures must be taken, and the Azerbaijani government must negotiate this matter in good faith and show some generosity in ensuring that the people of Nagorno-Karabakh can feel safe and protected and live well within Azerbaijan, noted the retired American diplomat.

Yerevan claims that by agreeing to negotiate on the basis of the Madrid principles back in 2007, Armenia already recognized Artsakh as a part of Azerbaijan, and therefore that the people of Artsakh did not have the opportunity to self-determine in the distant future and get any status outside of Azerbaijan. Referring to this position of Armenia and the question of whether the future status of Artsakh was considered predetermined in the peace talks, the former US co-chair of the OSC Minsk Group emphasized that during his tenure in the aforesaid capacity, there was a settlement option on the negotiating table that could be reached if the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan had been ready to go for it, but they weren't ready, according to Warlick.

The situation would have been more favorable for Armenia if an agreement to go to that solution were reached during Warlick’s co-chairmanship, and it should not have happened through war and conflict, he said. Warlick is convinced that the issue of status is on the agenda of the negotiations. It is not about getting an independent status at the moment, but the rights and obligations of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh should be recognized in order to live peacefully and safely within Azerbaijan. Warlick believes that Azerbaijani president Aliyev is obligated to grant Nagorno-Karabakh a status within Azerbaijan, and this should be one of the important issues of the peace talks.

Asked whether after the 2020 war, Armenia could have not recognized the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, including Artsakh, continue to promote the principle of self-determination of nations or, at least, insist that the resolution of the status issue be postponed, Warlick noted that the Armenian parties should accept the existing realities.

Azerbaijan has always insisted on the principle of territorial integrity, but at the same time, Armenia insisted on the right of nations to self-determination and the discussion of the status issue he said. Warlick believes that the solution could have been worded in such a way that it would be acceptable for both Armenia and Azerbaijan. But, as per the former US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, that is already in the past, we are where we are, and the government of Armenia and the people of Nagorno-Karabakh should accept the current situation and work towards a solution that guarantees the rights of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.