Former Armenian FM: I call on the world to pressure Azerbaijan to  mend its ways

ArmInfo. Despite its claims to the contrary, Azerbaijan does not seek peace with its neighbors, including Armenia, This is stated in an article by former Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan, published in Newsweek.

In this vein, he recalled that just over one year ago, Azerbaijan forced 120,000 ethnic Armenians from the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, destroying its long-standing self-government and setting about to erasing all traces of what was once Armenia's historical heartland. 

"If Azerbaijan were genuinely committed to peace, it would stop erasing the Armenian cultural and historical presence in Nagorno-Karabakh, abondon its ongoing claims to sovereign Armenian territory, facilitate the return of Nagorno-Karabagh's displaced population to their ancestral homeland, and immediately release the political prisoners it captured a year ago - the former leadership of the autonomous region, which it blockaded for nine months before launching a brutal invasion last September," Oskanyan said.

The diplomat added that the Azerbaijani regime is one of the most despotic, corrupt, and aggressive in the world. "So, as the Armenian Foreign Minister from 1998 to 2008, who spent decades negotiating peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan with the support of powers like the US, Russia and France, I  call on the world to pressure Azerbaijan to mend its ways. And, as luck would have it, there is a way. The COP-29 climate conference is scheduled to take place in Baku in mid-November - a choice of venue that has sparked significant controversy, since Azerbaijan is also a leading oil and gas producer and a major contributor to global pollution. It was a dubious choice on all levels - but it is also one that currently gives the world some leverage," the former head of the Armenian foreign ministry believes.

At the same time, Oskanyan emphasized that those currently being held in Baku - former presidents of Nagorno-Karabakh Arayik Harutyunyan, Bako Sahakyan and Arkady Ghukasyan; former state minister Ruben Vardanyan; parliament speaker David Ishkhanyan; former foreign minister David Babayan; and defense minister Levon Mnatsakanyan - are legitimate representatives of a people who sought self- determination in accordance with international law.

"Were world powers negotiating with terrorists and criminals all these years, as Azerbaijan now suggests?  Of course not. These leaders are comparable to figures like Ibrahim Rugova of Kosovo or Jose Ramos- Horta of East Timor - individuals who fought for the self-determination of their people through peaceful means. Their detention is a political ploy to silence the Armenian cause, a serious violation of international law and a challenge to the legitimacy of the global diplomatic process," the Armenian diplomat is confident. While Azerbaijan claims sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh, and while it fell within the Soviet republic that became Azerbaijan, it was long a heartland of Armenian life with a very plausible claim to the right of self-determination, he said.

"Nagorno-Karabakh's move to exercise this right in the final years of the Soviet Union provoked an uncompromising response from Azerbaijan, leading to a full-scale conflict between Armenians and Azerbaijanis. This conflagration eventually culminated in a ceasefire in 1994, which allowe the region to establish self-rule. For nearly three decades, Nagorno-Karabakh maintained a de facto independent status, with state-building efforts grounded in democratic principles and respect for human rights. Negotiations aimed at a permanent solution - co-chaired by the United States, France and Russia - emphasized peaceful resolution, respect for human rights and adherence to international law. But in 2020, Azerbaijan's aggression dramatically escalated, and in a brief war, the regime seized most of the outer area of the enclave. Three years later, following further clashes, Azerbaijan attacked Nagorno-Karabakh, carried out ethnic cleansing and kidnapped the region's leadership," the former minister noted. He added that this brings up to the genuinely bizarre circumstances in which the regime of dictator Ilham Aliyev, which occupies the bottom rungs in all global democracy rankings, such as the one published by Freedom House, comes to be hosting COP-29. Oskanian believes this is a symbol  of the moral contradictions at play in international diplomacy. 

 "As one of the world's leading oil and gas producers, Azerbaijan profits immensely from fossil fuels - the very industry contributing to climate change. Yet it was given a platform to host a global summit on mitigating climate catastrophe. This environmental hypocrisy is itself glaring- and yet, yes, there is a narrative in which climate miscreants are  nudged along by being given a seat at the table or even allowed to host the assembled. After all, COP28 was hosted by the United Arab Emirates," he noted. However, according to Oskanyan, there is no argument for allowing it to get away with human rights abuses in Nagorno-Karabakh. " Allowing Azerbaijan to host COP29 without confronting its repressive actions would be  to turn  a blind eye to the atrocities it has committed. And COP29, indeed, presents a rare opportunity for leverage.

"The global community, especially state actors like the United States, must demand that Azerbaijan release the Armenian prisoners of war and political leaders it has unlawfully detained. And they should be prepared to boycott the conference or to send low-level delegations if that demand is rejected.  Azerbaijan knows the detainees have committed no crimes, but it does not expect its bluff to be called. Yes, there is a risk that Baku will stand firm. That risk diminished the more resolute is the ultimatum and the more state actors and NGOs that line up behind it. It would be a wake-up call for dictators and bad faith actors everywhere," the diplomat said. Recalling the possibility of moving the summit to another more democratic country, Oskanyan said the urgency of climate change is undeniable, but it is necessary to ensure that human rights and environmental justice are not mutually exclusive.

"The fight against climate change must be waged with moral integrity. The world must stand firm and not let Azerbaijan exploit the climate agenda as a PR shield while it continues to oppress Armenians, suppress legitimate political movements, and hold political prisoners.  Time is short. COP29 is fast approaching, and the world has an opportunity to display real commitment, backed by action, to human rights, the rule of law, and the principle of self-determination. The United States, the European Union, and other democratic entities must take the lead, using COP-29 as leverage to demand the release of these prisoners. They must speak out. And more importantly, they must act," Oskanyan concluded.