Settlement of Karabakh conflict 'impossible' now: Karabakh minister
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The advancements in peace talks to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict seem "impossible in the near future," according to a Karabakh minister.
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Karabakh Minister Artak Beglaryan.
The settlement of the war in the Nagorno-Karabakh region is unattainable in the near future due to severe conflicts between the republic's and Azerbaijan's authorities, Karabakh minister Artak Beglaryan told Sputnik on Friday.
"In the foreseeable future, a comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem seems impossible, since there are serious contradictions in the positions of Artsakh and Azerbaijan - they are diametrically opposed," Beglaryan said.
The main difference is that for Azerbaijan, the settlement of the conflict is a matter of "prestige, ambitions," while for the Karabakh citizens it is "a matter of life and death," Beglaryan noted.
Beglaryan went on to say that the Karabakh authorities are in talks with Armenia about recognizing the republic, but there has been no progress.
"Negotiations are being held with Armenia, contacts are being made on the issue of recognizing the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh, but at present, there is no progress on this issue yet," Beglaryan said.
Read next: Armenia, Azerbaijan agree to "advance discussions" on peace treaty
Russian peacekeepers should stay in Nagorno-Karabakh indefinitely
The Russian peacekeeping contingent should stay in the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, as the conflict is far from being resolved, Artak Beglaryan, the state minister of Karabakh said.
"We believe that the peacekeeping contingent should stay here indefinitely, since the conflict has not been resolved," Beglaryan said, adding that the number of Russian peacekeepers should be increased, and their powers should be expanded.
The minister noted that the Nagorno-Karabakh authorities want the Russian peacekeepers to be present in the region because Azerbaijan is not ready for negotiations with the self-proclaimed republic on three clear principles proposed by international mediators — territorial integrity, the right of nations to self-determination, and non-use of force or threat of use of force.
When the conflict is settled, then, Nagorno-Karabakh and Russia can consider the issue of the further stay of peacekeepers, the official said, noting that peacekeepers can stay in the region as a guarantor of security.
"But at present, there is an urgent need for the presence of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh," Beglaryan said.
In September 2020, the long-running Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan resurfaced. The parties attempted multiple truces before signing a trilateral Moscow-brokered agreement in November of that year, which enjoined a ceasefire and the exchange of captives.
After a meeting of Azerbaijani, Armenian, and Russian leaders in January 2021, the trilateral working group was formed to support the revival and building of new transport infrastructure facilities required for the organization of international transit between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated in mid-April that his administration planned to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan shortly, adding that the main goal of the negotiations for Yerevan would no longer be to agree on the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan. It sparked a wave of protests in Armenia, with the opposition demanding Pashinyan's resignation.
It is worth mentioning that at the beginning of May, opposition groups in Armenia started public protests in the capital Yerevan on Wednesday in an attempt to depose Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan over his government's concessions to Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Parties from the opposition have accused the Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, of planning to give away all of Karabakh to Azerbaijan. He had told Armenian MPs last month that the "international community calls on Armenia to scale down demands on Karabakh."
