YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. In an interview with “Armenpress”, political scientist Tigran Abrahamyan, referring to the recent developments over the Nagorno Karabakh issue, said the visits of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs, the OSCE Chairing country and other parties interested in this issue to the region have dramatically increased. The reason of this is that the Azerbaijani threat to solve the Nagorno Karabakh issue with military means has not been eliminated yet.

-Mr. Abrahamyan, in recent days the officials of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh highlight that there is no alternative to the recognition of the NKR’s independence and the restoration of the complete negotiation format. How would you comment on the frequent emphasis by the Armenian side’s stance over this issue? 

-The April military operations unleashed in Nagorno Karabakh were failure for the mediating countries as well, since one of the major goals of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs was not to permit escalation, which actually failed. At this moment there are active developments in the process in terms of not permitting escalation rather than reaching the final solution in the negotiation process.

-How would you comment on Russian FM Sergey Lavrov’s statement, who said this time success is closer than ever before? What do you think, to what issue the sides can be closer?

-At this moment the mediators’ main aim is to reach the resumption of the negotiations, however, uncertainty is high even on this issue since Azerbaijan openly doesn’t want to implement the agreements reached in Vienna and St. Petersburg.

-In these days Azerbaijan conducts aviation military exercises via helicopters and jets in the south-eastern direction of the contact line. The shots again restarted in the contact line. What issue does Azerbaijan want to solve by this?

-At this stage of the process conducting such large-scale military exercises is undesirable since it more reminds a provocation. A month ago Azerbaijan also conducted military exercises involving large amount of equipment and human potential, these aviation exercises are the logical continuation of that military exercises. The process over the Nagorno Karabakh issue is in a very difficult stage, and by carrying out such actions Azerbaijan contributes to the further escalation of the situation.

-The regular meeting between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan is expected to be held in the near future, US Secretary of State John Kerry visited Russia where the Nagorno Karabakh issue will be discussed with the Russian leadership. Taking into account the active political processes, what do you think, whether relative calm will be maintained in the borders, or not, or whether to expect everything from Azerbaijan?

-All the analysis show that no significant changes will be made in the negotiation process, whereas Azerbaijan is actively engaged in buying new military equipment, arms, the Azerbaijani activity is being realized in the contact line, therefore, the current relative calm will not be maintained long: in any case, the course of the events shows this.

The visits of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs, the OSCE Chairing country and other parties interested in this issue to the region have dramatically increased since the Azerbaijani threat to solve the issue with military means has not been eliminated yet.

Interview by Anna Gziryan