ANCA calls for “preparing for the worst” in Karabakh processJanuary 24, 2019 - 16:57 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America Aram Suren Hamparian has commented on the recent developments surrounding the Nagorno Karabakh peace process, calling for preparing for the worst. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group issued a statement following a meeting with Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign policy chiefs, revealing that the Ministers have agreed upon the necessity of taking concrete measures to prepare the populations for peace. They also said that a possible summit between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia would give a strong impulse to the dynamic of negotiations. “Rhetoric around "preparing populations for peace" rings hollow unless matched with the transparency needed for the public to actually make informed judgments,” Hamparian said in a Facebook post. “Without transparency, such calls can come across as something between "you can trust me" and "you don't need to know." Hamparian then provides a few questions on the matter: -- Are the Madrid Principles the basis for current talks? -- What are the outlines of the deal under consideration? -- What role will Artsakh play in this process? -- Has Aliyev stepped back from his NeverArtsakh stand? -- Which elements of a deal are upfront, which are deferred? -- What enforcement is envisioned for deferred commitments? -- What guarantees can be offered against renewed aggression? -- What are the realistic expectations regarding peacekeepers? More broadly, how would a deal - if implemented - play out, over the short, mid, and long terms? “For example, if Artsakh were to surrender land/security upfront, would Azerbaijan respond in good faith by keeping its commitments regarding Artsakh's future status. Or would Azerbaijan take this concession as a sign of weakness, leveraging its new advantage on the ground to secure (as Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly pledged) further territorial gains, until all of Artsakh is brought under Baku's control - with or without Armenians?” the ANCA Executive Director continues to question. “We may hope for the best, but must - given our history and geography - prepare for the worst. “This is not a time for careless thinking. “As they say, we need to stay open-minded, but not so open that our brains fall out.” Related links: Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. Byblos Bank Armenia celebrates Students' Day with scholarship recipients YSU students who received scholarships from Byblos Bank Armenia gathered in a casual setting to meet with the Bank's CEO, Hayk Stepanyan. Armenia border residents dissatisfied with delimitation Residents Kirants are dissatisfied with the results of the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. “Great success”: Pashinyan pleased with new border protocol Pashinyan has described the signing by Armenia and Azerbaijan of a protocol on delimitation in Tavush as “a great success”. |