Azerbaijan, in Fact, Refuses Any Negotiation, Threatening by War

• 06.22.2018, 22:17
• Anna Karapetyan
•  Europe,  Region,  World,  NKR

Azerbaijan's agressive rhetoric has recently escalated, creating additional threats to regional security. The leadership of Azerbaijan has regularly threatened by the war, but the recent statement of Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov that the resumption of hostilities is a matter of a political decision conditioned by the international situation is a quite new thing. Hasanov, in particular, said: "The main task of the army is to liberate the occupied territories and restore the territorial integrity of the country." The Azerbaijani army is ready to fulfill this task at any time. "The order for this task is a political issue, and such an order will arrive at the most appropriate moment, taking into account the international political situation."

Before that, Zakir Hasanov used to say: "The Azerbaijani army is ready to resist the provocations of the enemy," "The army is ready for large-scale military operations," "If the talks fail to produce results, Azerbaijan will use force," etc. But this time the Azerbaijani side acknowledged that they are ready to begin military operations at the first convenient moment. And this, in fact, is a refusal of a political settlement through negotiations.

Thus, official Baku declares that, regardless of the negotiations and existing agreements, when the international situation is favorable, Azerbaijan will start a war at its most convenient moment.

This is a very important and dangerous signal. The Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Artsakh should make an active effort to draw the attention of the mediators to this change of rhetoric and achieve a clear reaction of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, not only and not primarily in the form of a common statement.

It is not excluded that Baku thus checks the reaction of the conflicting parties and the international community. And if this answer is not sufficiently rigid and preventive, the consequences can become unpredictable and difficult.