“The withdrawal of the Russian peacekeeping contingent from Azerbaijan means the end of the Karabakh issue and the absence of a military peacekeeping component in bilateral relations. Thus, opportunities for better cooperation between Baku and Moscow are opened.”
Member of the Parliament of Azerbaijan Konul Nurullayeva told Ednews these thoughts. According to her, Azerbaijan created such a reality in the region that today we are witnessing the mission leaving our country ahead of time.
It is known that it was Mr. President Ilham Aliyev who insisted on the temporary placement of peacekeepers in the territories of Azerbaijan until 2025 in the November 10 tripartite statement. When the peacekeeping mission was stationed on the territory of Azerbaijan, it was officially declared that it was temporary and in 2025 the issue of extending the mandate of the mission would be reconsidered. Thus, according to the Tripartite declaration dated November 10, 2020, the period of stay of the Russian peacekeeping contingent is 5 years, and if any of the parties does not express its intention to terminate the application of the current provision 6 months before the end of the period, the period is extended for the next 5 years. However, Azerbaijan created such a reality in the region that today we are witnessing the mission leaving our country ahead of time. At the same time, during the operation of the mission, the separatists thought that they could use them as a security umbrella. It is true that during this period, some of the behavior of the peacekeepers did not satisfy official Baku, and there were also points where we were dissatisfied. Nevertheless, Azerbaijan gradually resolved its own issue and cut the root of separatism once and for all, and thus there was no longer any need for external mediating missions.”
Mrs. parliamentary emphasized that the "temporary" condition in the document and the ending the process is the result of the determined policy of the President of Azerbaijan.
"The early withdrawal of peacekeepers is also a factor that strengthens relations between Azerbaijan and Russia. The joint decision of the top leadership of the countries once again confirms that the personal relations of the leaders are a factor that strengthens the relations between the countries. At the same time, this suggests that bilateral friendly relations will further strengthen. It is unfortunate that the United States is exhibiting a bias towards peacekeepers. The representative of the State Department, while commenting on the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers, called Russia an "unreliable ally" and interpreted this process in a negative manner. They openly accuse the peacekeepers of not preventing the anti-terrorist operation carried out by Azerbaijan in Khankendi last fall. According to US officials, the Russian army "has not contributed to a more peaceful and stable South Caucasus region". That is, according to the United States, the contribution to stability was the stay of the separatist regime in the region, the extension of the new "status quo". It becomes clear that some of the negative aspects recorded during the peacekeepers' activities and which displeased Baku actually came from Washington's heart. That is, the United States and France are the biggest opponents of conflict resolution, which is confirmed more seriously every day. The point is that the United States, which has been trying to suppress Russia from all regions of the world, has shown a different position in its approach to the peacekeepers in Karabakh.”
K. Nurullayeva said that the US's opposing position once again shows that the White House is not interested in ensuring lasting peace in the region.
“We have seen that the United States has repeatedly called on Russia to withdraw its peacekeeping contingent from Transnistria, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia. At the same time, the withdrawal of CSTO forces from Kazakhstan in January 2022 was welcomed by the United States. Moreover, the peacekeeping contingent in Kazakhstan was called to "leave the country as soon as possible". Based on this experience, the US should have welcomed the end of the conflict, the establishment of peace and the departure of the peacekeeping mission, as well as should have congratulated Azerbaijan. However, revealing the opposite position once again shows that the United States is not interested in ensuring lasting peace in the region. The White House is only pursuing its own geopolitical goals.
A few days before the anti-terrorist operation of 2023 on September 17, the secret US-Russia-EU meeting on Karabakh held in Istanbul was also a step taken against the ensuring of the sovereignty of Azerbaijan. It was the first contact between Moscow and the West since the start of the war in Ukraine. With this, the West showed that it is ready to make a deal even with its main rival, Russia, in order not to allow Azerbaijan to fully restore its sovereignty.”
Akbar Novruz
