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Iranian “Arannews.ir” published Aref Mohammadzade’s analytical article on Nagorno-Karabakh history, the roots of the conflict, the current negotiating process.

The article particularly says:

“Nagorno-Karabakh, which was mostly populated with Armenians, was part of Armenia in 1918 as the three republics were established in the Caucasus. Later, in the Soviet period, Stalin ordered to join Karabakh to Azerbaijan, giving birth to a silent conflict between the Armenians and Azeris in the Caucasus.”

“It’s been 8 years since Azerbaijan, headed by Ilham Aliyev, constantly threatens to solve the issue in a military way and the latter, like his father, makes use of the Karabakh conflict to ensure his further power. As long as Baku’s state officials are buried in bribery and immorality, the country is facing internal and external serious problems, Ilham Aliyev will never succeed in doing it.”

“Since the day of its establishment, the Republic of Azerbaijan has carried a violent propaganda against Armenians thus committing a Genocide of the Armenians and after all this, how can Armenians live under Azerbaijan?,” the author notes.

Referring to Nagorno-Karabakh current political situation, he writes; “During the recent years a number of political elections were held in Nagorno-Karabakh and many observers from the US, Russia, France, other European states, as well as Iran arrived in Karabakh.”

Commenting on Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian propaganda carried out in the European institutions, the author says: “At a time when Azerbaijan officially recognizes Armenia, Presidents of the two countries meet frequently, Azeri reporters visit Armenia, Baku refuses to grant a visa to other nationals who have ever visited Karabakh or Armenia: this is ridiculous.”

“Citizens of any country have the right to visit Nagorno-Karabakh, this picturesque place, irrespective of the fact it is recognized or not, and the government of another state cannot deprive them of this right,” the author concludes.

The Nagorno-Karabakh (armed) conflict broke out back in 1991, when, subsequent to the demand for self-determination of the Nagorno-Karabakh people, Azerbaijani authorities attempted to resolve the issue through ethnic cleansings, carried out by Soviet security forces (KGB special units) under the pretext of the implementation of the passport regime and by launching of large-scale military operations, which left thousands dead and caused considerable material damage. A cease-fire agreement was established in 1994. Negotiations on the settlement of the conflict are being conducted under the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen (Russia, USA, France) and on the basis of their Madrid proposals, presented in November, 2007.

Azerbaijan has not yet implemented the 4 resolutions of the UN Security Council adopted in 1993, by continuing to provoke arms race in the region and openly violating on of the basic principles of the international law non-use of force or threat of force.