| TURKISH
DAILY NEWS
The fires of opportunity?
Friday, September 15, 2006
The long-lasting Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict is easily
one of the most protracted in Eurasia. Years of various
intense mediations, most prominently by the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe, have so far
produced a flurry of shuttle diplomacy with very little
real impact on the ground. Most recently, however, there
have been some signs that things may change. These are
due to an unlikely reason and come through an unlikely
agency
Elin Suleymanov*
The long-lasting Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict is easily one of the most protracted in Eurasia.
Years of various intense mediations, most prominently
by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE), have so far produced a flurry of shuttle
diplomacy with very little real impact on the ground.
Most recently, however, there have been some signs that
things may change. These are due to an unlikely reason
and come through an unlikely agency. On Sept. 8, the
United Nations passed a resolution “On the Situation
in the Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan” to
address the environmental damage caused by fires raging
throughout the Azerbaijani territories under Armenian
military control. Thus after repeated appeals by the
Azerbaijani authorities the United Nations formally
recognized the gravity of the situation and emphasized
the “urgent need to suppress the fires.”
To pass this resolution, Azerbaijan
negotiated with Armenia; the document notes the “readiness
of the sides to cooperate.” Even if brought about
by the unfortunate case of an environmental disaster,
this is an opportunity for the two sides to work together
in addressing an urgent real issue at hand. This might
prove a useful experience in the future. Armenia's military
control over large portions of the internationally-recognized
territory of Azerbaijan is clearly not sustainable,
in the first place for Armenia itself. Therefore, should
some progress on peace talks be achieved, military withdrawal
and repatriation of Azerbaijan's numerous displaced
communities, currently exiled as a result of the occupation,
would require some form of cooperation between the parties.
Finding a way to put out the fires together may be a
good start.
Moreover, if Armenia is serious about
its professed desire to join regional cooperation projects,
overwhelmingly centered around Azerbaijan, it needs
to practice some practical cooperative techniques with
its neighbors -- an opportunity so far overshadowed
by Armenia's predominantly confrontational view of the
neighborhood. As for the Armenian separatists based
on the occupied territories, including the Nagorno-Karabakh
region, taking a more responsible approach towards preserving
the environment, which they control jointly with Armenia
proper, can make the offer of “highest degree
of self-rule” stipulated by Azerbaijan a more
feasible possibility. Furthermore, successful cooperation
between Armenia and Azerbaijan can lay a basis for addressing
the formidable future challenge of post-conflict rehabilitation
and reconstruction.
These are of course just opportunities.
After all, the United Nations had already passed a number
of resolutions in 1993 and 1994 calling for withdrawal
of Armenian troops and return of refugees, only to be
completely ignored for over a decade. This too, incidentally,
can change if the sides actually take the first cooperative
step.
It is often said that, emerging in 1980s,
the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict had been a contributing
factor in shaking the foundations of the former Soviet
Union. In its current unresolved state the conflict
remains a major threat to peace and stability, precluding
the people of the South Caucasus from fully realizing
the potential of their region. Perhaps in jointly implementing
the provisions of the latest U.N. resolution, both Armenia
and Azerbaijan can demonstrate a leadership model much
needed in the area.
Most importantly and urgently, though,
the fires must be suppressed -- this is the most pressing
issue on the ground. The rest comes after and hopefully
as a result of that.
*Elin Suleymanov is Azerbaijan's consul
general in Los Angeles
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