Clause on peacekeepers put forward by Yerevan excluded from Sochi document - Shahin Jafarli

Baku/02.11.22/Turan: The Sochi talks between Presidents I. Aliyev, V. Putin and Prime Minister N. Pashinyan came to an end. What are the results of the meeting in Sochi, October 31, Azerbaijan can record as a plus? What specifically has Baku achieved and what has not? What principles of border delimitation does Azerbaijan offer? Is there any progress on the issue of transport corridors? Which of the five settlement principles voiced by Azerbaijan causes the greatest difficulties in the negotiations? Turan asked these questions to Shahin Jafarli, an expert on the country's foreign policy.

When it comes to positive aspects of the Sochi talks, President Ilham Aliyev did not make a commitment that could harm Azerbaijan's interests. On the eve of the negotiations, N. Pashinyan declared his readiness to sign a document on the extension of the term of the Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh for 10-20 years. This means that the topic of extending the term of the peacekeeping mission had previously been on the negotiating table, behind closed doors, Sh. Jafarli said.

On the whole, it is no secret that Russia wants both the signing of a document defining the status of peacekeepers in Karabakh and the extension of their stay in Azerbaijan. Howeber, Baku does not agree to this. In Sochi, Putin spoke about the impossibility of agreeing on a number of provisions, and the withdrawal of some provisions from the prepared draft of the final Statement. With a high probability, Putin had in mind the status and time of the stay of the peacekeepers in Karabakh, with which I. Aliyev did not agree, Sh. Jafarli believes.

There is no agreement between Baku and Yerevan on the maps that will be used for the delimitation and demarcation of the border. Discussions in working groups are ongoing. Azerbaijan's position is that it is necessary to use maps from 1918 to the end of the USSR. However, these maps differ, in different periods some territories of Azerbaijan were transferred to the Armenian SSR. It is not known which cards suit both sides and will form the basis for the delimitation.

Moscow proposes to consider maps of the General Staff of the RF armed forces as the basis for negotiations, but so far there has been no agreement. According to Sh. Jafarli, there is also no clarity in the issue of transport communications. The main point of contention is the fate of the Zangezur corridor, the status of the road connecting mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan. Azerbaijan wants to use the road as corridor, that is, this traffic will not be regulated by Armenian laws and controllers. But Yerevan says that it will never allow extraterritoriality on this road, it only agrees to give the Azerbaijanis a way through its territory. In this matter, Yerevan receives the serious support of Iran, which even threatens military intervention. Therefore, the problem remains open.

“The five Azerbaijani settlement principles proposed to Armenia are in keeping with international norms and principles. When political and diplomatic relations are established between the two countries, these principles are taken as a basis. Because if one state does not recognize the territory of another and puts forward territorial claims against it, then what kind of relationship can we talk about? According to this logic, Yerevan does not oppose Azerbaijani principles. If a peace treaty is signed, then there is no doubt that these principles will be reflected in it because Baku will not sign any other document, S. Jafarli summed up.-0-