View from Baku: "Madrid Principles" Disguises Russia's Main Task to Keep South Caucasus under Control

"Madrid Principles" is a utilitarian document that contributes to the Karabakh conflict freeze and extension - this disguises Russia's main task to keep South Caucasus under control, Zardusht Alizadeh, an independent Azerbaijani political analyst, one of the founders of the Popular Front of Azerbaijan, told in an interview to ArmInfo. Since 1992 the OSCE Minsk Group represented by co-chairs from Russia, U.S. and France has been mediating in resolution of the conflict unleashed by Azerbaijan in 1988. At present the peace process is based on the Madrid Principles suggested by the OSCE MG in 2007 in Madrid and renovated in 2009. According to the analyst, the situation took its roots back in the early 90s. Having set a favourable configuration in respect of Karabakh conflict and by appointing controllable political actors both in Armenia and Azerbaijan, Moscow has shifted the conflict into the OSCE-patronage regime of endless and idle talks.  Other large-scale actors have joined this game, while Paris, Key West, Prague, Kazan, Madrid and Sochi are just its landmarks.      

According to Alizadeh, the situation leads to a reasoned question if it makes sense to proceed with the discussions of Madrid Principles. According to his estimations, open and sincere discussions can bring societies to understand the negotiations are in a dead-end. This, in turn, will cause squeeze on authorities and demands on seeking real solutions to the problem. 

The political expert believes the Karabakh problem to be an important power resource, which is privatized both in Armenia and Azerbaijan. The conflict and their agreement with Russia on its role in it have resulted in elites of both countries seizing favourable grounds. Alizadeh assures that even with Moscow's consent the elites will never renounce the feedbox. He has also added that neither the Armenian nor Azerbaijani oppositions are different from authorities.  

Alizadeh believes that peacemaking efforts of civil society supported by peace-motivated partners who tend to create democratic societies are really important against this unnerving background. Here we need a couple of European-experience-based models of conflict settlement. These models are fist of all to be directed at safeguarding interests of Nagorno-Karabakh residents.    

"These models will be definitely elaborated by local and foreign lawyers, economists, psychologists, etc.  The results are then to be submitted to both states' societies and internationally lobbied. Otherwise, Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples will keep dancing to the simple tune performed by political rogues", he said adding that this would only deepen the degradation.