There is understanding between US and Russian sides on Artsakh; they realize the best way to avoid war is to negotiate – Vahram Balayan

All the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries — including the United States, France and Russia — have stated that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict needs a comprehensive solution, Vahram Balayan, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Artsakh Parliament, told Factor.am, when speaking about the discussions on the conflict at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, which is being held these days.

“Despite Aliyev’s statements, everyone sees that peace in the region can be achieved only after a final solution to the issue. They will create conditions for the resumption of dialogue on Artsakh between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” he said, adding that in order to ensure efficiency in that process, of course, Artsakh must be involved in it.

“The voice of the people there must be taken into account, which has its elected government,” Balayan said. Now, according to him, we are witnessing a new beginning of the great road ․

“A new situation has been created. I think the Armenian authorities will make every effort to make the negotiation process more effective.”

Referring to the statement of the US State Department that they have proposals addressed to the parties for a comprehensive solution of the issue, Balayan said that many countries have interests in our region.

“The United States has seen that Russia does not pretend to act alone, the field is open for both the US and France, they can be more actively involved in the process. If there are disagreements on other issues, in the case of the Karabakh issue, I think there is a common understanding between the American and Russian sides.

“Everyone understands that the best way to avoid a big war is to sit at the negotiating table,” he said.

Speaking about Aliyev’s statements, according to which there is no Nagorno Karabakh, there is no Nagorno Karabakh issue, Vahram Balayan said: “Even after the first Karabakh war, Azerbaijan has constantly set maximum requirements to achieve the minimum. It is doing the same now. Not only in Artsakh, but also in the case of the territory of the Republic of Armenia, it is trying to move forward step by step in centimeters. The problem is that the Azerbaijanis are trying to take as much territory as possible. From this point of view, those claims will always be there. But I think they also understand in their hearts that the peace that their people need can be only in case of a comprehensive solution to the problem.”

As for Turkey’s activity, discussions on Nagorno-Karabakh with high-ranking officials of different countries, according to Balayan, this country’s claims for our lands are known from the history.

“Turkey has eyed Artsakh since the 16th century, it has never hidden it. Today, some conditions have been created for it to penetrate the Caucasus again. Unfortunately, it had success to some extent, and if it continues, nothing good will happen.

“Turkey’s ambitions can keep the region more unstable,” he said. According to Balayan, this policy of Turkey worries superpowers such as Russia, the United States and France. “But we must take into account the existing realities. Turkey is a powerful NATO country, with its economic strength it is among the top 20 countries in the world, and everyone takes into account its strength,” he said. At the same time, he said, there are “red lines”, these countries will not allow Turkey to cross them. In his opinion, one of them is Turkey becoming the OSCE MG co-chair.

“They will not allow Turkey to do that,” he said.