The Armenian side now has more advantages than Azerbaijan, Former Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Vyacheslav Trubnikov, who was also the formed First Deputy FM and Chief of Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia, said in an interview with haqqin.az.
Asked about the possibility of pressure from the Russian side, the former co-chair said: “No pressure on either of the sides will yield any results. The Armenian side now has more advantages than Azerbaijan: it has the occupied territories, the Nagorno-Karabakh. Do you think that having so many advantages it will easily agree to the solution of that issues? Armenia will play its trump cards to the maximum in the negotiation process, while pressure could yield the opposite effect. Therefore, it is necessary to patiently convince the parties to work towards a peaceful solution to the problem. There is no alternative to the conflict settlement. There is no military solution. Here the political will of both sides is needed.
It is first of all necessary to think about the creation of a climate of confidence, in no case coming up with a military rhetoric. Any military statements only move us away from the solution of this issue, the no-war-no-peace situation being extremely dangerous. Therefore, it is necessary to think about the issue every day, not assuming that the time is on the side of either of the parties.”
Referring to the possibility of resuming the military actions, Trubnikov noted that he didn’t expect that to occur. “Nevertheless, that happened. But have you asked yourself why you pressed the trigger? The aspiration to solve the issue by force and new war will yield no result aside from the complication of the problem and possible loss of more territories for Azerbaijan.
Russia, for its part, will do its best for the military actions not to resume under any circumstances. This, after all, is a matter of our national security, and we won’t allow a new round of conflict. As an OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing country, we will seek options for its settlement,” Trubnikov stressed.
Together with this, he responded negatively to the issue of deployment of peacekeepers in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. “What can this give? Disengagement and withdrawal of heavy weapons are already observed. The OSCE Minks Group crosses the contact line between the troops twice a year, and, in fact, through minefields, where instead of vineyards the Armenian armed forces have installed mines on the occupied territories. Therefore, I see no point in deploying blue helmets in the conflict zone.”
According to the former co-chair, it is a different thing that both sides have an issue related to refugees. “Apart from the issue of the Azerbaijani refuges, there are also those of Baku and Sumgayit Armenians, who were expelled from their houses long before the occupation of the Azerbaijani territories. Thus, this issue requires a complex solution without infringement on the interests of the parties.
The Azerbaijani and Armenians should themselves reach a certain agreement, while we must help them. Can you at last understand that this is not the issue of Putin, Trump or Hollande, but the one between you and the Armenians? You shouldn’t “throw” your issues on us: you agree, and we will always be happy to help you. This is, after all, an issue of the sustainable development of Azerbaijan and Armenia, prosperity of your nations, therefore both sides should be most of all interested in peace,” Trubnikov stressed.
