RFE/RL CAUCASUS REPORT
Vol. 1, No. 43, 22 December 1998
A Weekly Review of Political Developments
in the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
The powerful defence minister of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Lt.-Gen. Samvel Babayan, made his public relations debut in Yerevan on 21 December, announcing what he said were positive trends in international efforts to end the long conflict with Azerbaijan, while retaining some misgivings.
Addressing students and faculty members of Yerevan State University, Babayan said the bitter war over the disputed enclave, stopped over four years ago, will not resume soon because Azerbaijan is incapable of defeating the Karabakh Armenian forces.
"For the first time the principles of peoples' self-determination and territorial integrity have received equal consideration," Babayan said, referring to the most recent peace plan by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. "That's why Azerbaijan has rejected it," he told the audience at an overcrowded university hall.
The plan, largely approved by the Armenian and Karabakh authorities, calls for the formation of a "common state" between Azerbaijan and the Armenian-populated region.
Babayan said he is personally against the idea of a common state but indicated he is not opposed to the latest OSCE plan as it offers Baku a face-saving solution. "That's a pure political term, used [by the OSCE] to uphold the principle of territorial integrity to save Azerbaijan's face," he explained. However, the general who led the Karabakh Armenian forces during their successful war against Azerbaijan cautioned that the plan still has many unanswered questions. "We know we have to make concessions. But how many?" he asked.
In a sign that differences still exist between Armenia and Karabakh, Babayan chided Yerevan for lacking a "clear" stance on a compromise deal. "We don't get a clear answer from the Armenian authorities. Let them say once and for all which of the [occupied Azerbaijani] lands we should cede and which [we should] not," he said. Babayan said he is opposed to the return of Kelbajar and Lachin, the two Azerbaijani districts that lie between Karabakh and Armenia. "We will not give up Kelbajar and Lachin because it is our rear and security," he said. The fate of the districts, captured in 1992 and 1993, is a major sticking point in peace talks, with the Karabakh Armenians insisting on having a land corridor with Armenia proper.
"Azerbaijan will not resume fighting because it knows it will lose. They are unable to fight with us," Babayan said. The 33 year old general is believed to have huge power in Karabakh, often intervening in civilian matters. Babayan's position on the resolving the conflict tends to be harder than that of official Stepanakert. He denied any differences within the Karabakh Armenian leadership at the moment.
Babayan admitted, however, "some disagreements" over economic policy with Armenian President Robert Kocharian, himself a native of Karabakh. But he added that he has no ambitions to higher posts in the Karabakh or Armenian governments. "I have no goal to become president. And I don't have power claims in Armenia either. So don't worry about it," he told a reporter. (Anna Saghabalian)
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