November 9 ceasefire 'closes chapter on Karabakh', says retired diplomat

A veteran of the Armenian diplomacy , who served as an advisor to first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, sat down for an interview with BBC Russian on Monday to share his analysis on the recent war in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) and the subsequent developments.

Asked to comment on the situation after the signing of the November 9 ceasefire, Zhirayr Liparityan highlighted two interpretations. "One sounds pessimistic and, in all likelihood, true. But it is really too pessimistic to be easily acceptable to people. The statement on the cessation of fire closes, as a matter of fact, the chapter on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. It isn't stated explicitly but [that document] is based on the principle of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. And Pashinyan signed it. Nobody will change it anymore," he said. 

Liparityan predicted further efforts by the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure a maximum high re-settlement of their compatriots in Nagorno-Karabakh.

"We too, want our compatriots to go back to Artsakh. But will they be ready to return to Nagorno-Karabakh the way it is now? Without a massive return [of Armenians] to Karabakh, there will be no more need for discussing the NK"s future status.

"Russia is, on the other hand, interested to see Armenians' esarliest possible return. Without any Armenians there, Azerbaijan will move to questioning [Russian servicemen's] presence there," the diplomat noted.

Addressing world leaders' repeated references to Nagorno-Karabakh's "non-determined" status, Liparityan said he doesn't treat the remark as a message that the country's recognition is virtually possible. In his words, both Russian President Vladimir Putin and other influential state leaders plainly stated that "Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan".

Meantime Liparityan admitted that Russian diplomats also followed suit, never expressing support to any conflict settlement package excluding the chances of Karabakh's presence on the territory of Azerbaijan. "The only thing they did was delaying the status issue," the former presidential advisor said, ruling out further possibilities of any choice.

"The message gives a clear understanding that choice - if there was ever at all - is out of the question from now on. The negotiations can evolve around two scenarios: whether Karabakh will be a geographic, and a territorially defined unit on the territory of Azerbaijan or the Armenians will be granted cultural sovereignty as stated by [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev. That doesn't anyway imply territorial rights for [ethnic] minorities. It will signify a situation similar to that of the Armenians in Turkey and Iran where they, as a religious minority, enjoy a certain degree of sovereignty. [They have] their church, schools - maybe even newspapers and publishing houses - and Armenian language classes, but they do not have a territory. These are two options - territorial and extra-territorial [sovereignty as part of Azerbaijan] coupled with guarantees for minorities; that's it. There will be no negotiations between  being independent and forming part of Azerbaijan," Liparityan explained.