“Negotiations or pressure on Armenia?”: shelling in NK during negotiations in Washington

Azerbaijan Shelling and Murdering Armenian during Negotiations in Washington

“The situation can be defined as follows: either there are no negotiations, or the use of force is part of these ‘negotiations’,” political observer Hakob Badalyan believes.

During the meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, which began on June 27, Baku used a UAV in Nagorno-Karabakh, which killed four soldiers. The Armenian Defense Ministry reports that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces once again fired at the Armenian-American plant under construction in Yeraskh. In connection with these incidents, NK demanded that the Armenian delegation “immediately stop negotiations until a full-fledged truce is established both on the line of contact with NK and on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.”

According to Badalyan, Azerbaijan cannot ignore the US, it can simply be sure that there will be a reaction to its actions. The analyst believes that the lack of reaction means “at least a loyal attitude towards the use of force by Azerbaijan.”

This is the second round of Mirzoyan-Bayramov talks mediated by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. It was scheduled for June 12, but was postponed at the request of Baku. The first round of negotiations took place on May 1-4. Following the meeting, a joint statement was not signed, the parties limited themselves to a press release, which stated that “positions on some key issues still diverge.”

Shelling in parallel with the talks in Washington

The Armenian-Azerbaijani talks, mediated by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, will continue until June 29.

It is reported that on the first day the Blinken-Bayrams meeting, trilateral negotiations, as well as bilateral discussions of the Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations took place.

During a conversation with Blinken, the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister said that “for the successful completion of the peace process, it is important to avoid provocative steps.” But, on the first day of negotiations in Washington, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire on the Armenian-American plant under construction in Yeraskh, and later the situation escalated in NK.

The Prime Minister of Armenia called on the international community to “take practical steps” to ensure the rights and security of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. On Twitter, he wrote about the “high risk of destabilization in the South Caucasus.”

“Immediately stop negotiations”

The parliament of the unrecognized NKR adopted a statement demanding the Armenian delegation in Washington:

“Immediately stop the ongoing negotiations until a full-fledged truce is established on the line of contact with Artsakh and on the borders of the Republic of Armenia and documentary guarantees of its observance are provided. Otherwise, the continuation of negotiations will mean encouraging the aggressive behavior of the Azerbaijani side and privilege at the international level.”

The deputies called on the UN Security Council and the leaders of the co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group

• “to take concrete practical steps,
• impose sanctions against Azerbaijan,
• curb his aggressive tendencies,
• not be limited to expressions of sympathy, appeals and recommendations.”

Commentary by political observer Hakob Badalyan

Are negotiations possible in such an atmosphere?

“I can’t imagine what negotiations can be like in a situation where one of the parties is negotiating simultaneously with the use of force or the threat of its use. And this circumstance is not worthy of a targeted assessment by any of the mediators in the negotiations, in general by the international community.

Are negotiations possible in such a situation, or is it just an attempt to dictate conditions, where Yerevan has only one thing left to do – resist?

Negotiations should involve a certain balance of power. I mean not only military strength but also the atmospheric balance in general.”

Azerbaijan cannot ignore the US

“The shelling in Yeraskh has been going on for several days, by and large, they have not stopped. After the first shelling, when two workers were injured, the US expressed deep concern at the level of a tweet from a State Department spokesman.

But this did not bother Azerbaijan. The shooting in the direction of the plant continued even after its owners planted the flags of Armenia and the United States on the territory.

I think that Azerbaijan cannot ignore the US, it can only be sure whether the US will react or not. That’s why I’m talking about signs of loyalty. As an indicator of the effectiveness of efforts to achieve peace, I consider it important to call Azerbaijan to account for the use of force or its threat. When we do not see this, I strongly doubt the effectiveness of the peace process.”