Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan speeched to the Syrian Al-Vatan newspaper about Nagorno Karabakh conflict when he visited Syria.[1] He said that : “When the people of Nagorno Karabakh get a real opportunity to exercise their right to self-determination and when working instruments of security and development are created, then Armenia may consider the return of security zone regions around NKR as a mutual concession, preserving the corridor linking Armenia to Karabakh.”

Madrid Principles created a soft atmosphere among clashed sides since 2007. It provided reasonable points to solve Karabakh conflict. To understand today’s point of Karabakh issue, we should look at the last versiyon of Madrid Principles. It has been riched with some recommendations to international platform, sides and European Union. We can classify all of them this task which didn’t shared to public for a long time.

Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed Madrid Principles which was created by Minsk Group in 2007. It will be based on new meetings to solve Karabakh problem. These principles are task about to solve Nagorno Karabakh conflict with some steps which had been agreed by Azerbaijan and Armenia with initiatives of Minsk. Generally it has these points :

-          Armenia shall leave local zones which are around Nagorno Karabakh territory,

-          Corridor which provides a connection between Karabakh and Armenia shall be opened,

-          All immigrants shall back to their lands,

-          There will be an international guarantee which shall provide regional security,

-          Armenians who live in Karabakh shall keep determination rights,

-          States shall provide initiatives to implement legal status of the territory.[2]

            Madrid Principles weren’t shared to public, it changed with sensitivities of clashed sides. Last version has new points as detailed with some recommendations to sides, group members, international platform and European Union. According to last version these points achieve a peaceful end.[3]

It was recommended to the Azerbaijani and Armenian leadership that;

1. To make agree with a document consisting of the following principles untill the 2008 elections:

1. To guarantee a security and a stationing of the international peacemakers in the region,
2. The withdrawal of the armed forces of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh from the all invaded territories close to Nagorno Karabakh, with special modalities for Kalbajar and Lachin zones,
3. Return of the refugees, immigrants and the displaced persons,
4. The determination of a final status of the Nagorno Karabakh by a voting at the end; to determine an interim status to be settled untill this time, to open all the transport and trade routes,

1. In case of a failure of a common judge on whole document, to make agree with which possible and to point at the debatable issues exactly,

1. To offer the conditions for a positive approaches of the political figures during the election campaign 2008, to peace and to importance of the compromise,

It was recommended to the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan as well as to the de-facto administration of the Nagorno Karabakh that :

1. To respect the ceasefire “1994 treaty”, avoid a use of force, put end to an increase of the military budget, to the mutual blames as well as to an irreconcilable and incendiary rhetoric.

1. To aid to informal diplomacy and to the discussion on compromise decisions including the above mentioned points, to balance the country parliaments to open such discussion and to simplify the relationship between Azerbaijanis and Armenians.

1. The de-facto administration of the Nagorno Karabakh should put stop to settling Armenians in the occupied territories, as well as to carrying out a privatization in those districts, to an infrastructure development and to an establishment of local institution.

1. Azerbaijan has to give and opportunity to Karabakh Azerbaijanis to elect their leader of their community, has to make common efforts in direction of decreasing corruption and increase transparency for benefits of all citizens, as well as the deported persons from the oil incomes.

It was recommended to the Minsk Group co-chairmen (France, Russia and the USA) and to the large international community that,

1. To grow the joint efforts for achievement of an agreement of the main points. To continue the peace process after the 2008 presidential elections in Armenia and Azerbaijan and to note any difference of opinion could rice in that process.

1. The co-chairmen to intensify a mediatory level, to make a main element a regulation of Nagorno Karabakh problem during the bilateral and multipartite relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan.

1. To spread more information about a content of the negotiations and avoid to exaggerate artificially the expectation with excessive optimist statements.

It was recommended to the European Union that,

1.  
   1. To increase a role of the European Union’s special representation on South Caucasus; let the representation to follow a progress of the Minsk process, to keep in touch with all parties, to make visits to Nagorno Karabakh, to meet with the refugee citizens in Azerbaijan and to appraise together with the European Committee a quantity of important financing within the framework of the conflict.

1.  
   1. Using the Neighborhood Strategy in Europe program and its financing mechanisms, to create conditions for establishment of the institutions aimed to intensify trust and as well as to provide a respect to the human rights and superiority of law.[4]

Madrid Principles give some opportunities to sides and people of Karabakh with encourages of cooperations and new relations. Now, it is discussed by academics in Baku and Yerevan about how to adopt it to their self interests. Also Sargsyan pointed out this point via to demand self determination right to Karabakh after their possible backed position from invaded territories. For new meetings Madrid Principles will be discussed more than today, also people from Armenia and Azerbaijan will share how to create a peaceful settlement in the region.

Mehmet Fatih ÖZTARSU – Expert of Caucasus

[1] Panarmenian,23.03.2010, http://www.panarmenian.net/news/eng/?nid=44644&date=2010-03-23.

[2] Mehmet Fatih Öztarsu, Dağlık Karabağ Sorunu’na Çözüm Arayışlarında Minsk Grubu’nun ve Komşu Devletlerin Rolü, Türksam, http://www.turksam.org/tr/a1779.html.

[3] Araz Aslanlı, Karabakh Problem – History, Essence, Solution Process, (Baku Nurlar Press, 2009), p.97.

[4] Araz Aslanlı, Karabakh Problem…,p.98-99.