U.S. diplomat: 'I do not believe that a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan regarding Nagorno-Karabakh is likely or necessary'

• Friday, May 25, 19:31

I do not believe that a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan regarding Nagorno-Karabakh is likely or necessary as long as both countries remain in diplomatic contact through the Minsk Group process, said Richard D. Kauzlarich, a veteran American diplomat (ret), writer, and intelligence analyst,
former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and US Ambassador to Baku (1994-1997), commenting on Azerbaijan's purchases of Israeli weapons in an interview with TURAN's Washington DC correspondent.

"What I worry is that rather than engaging in serious efforts to resolve the conflict through negotiations, both Armenia and Azerbaijan are looking for pretexts not to reach an agreement that requires compromises on both sides," he said.

Commenting on arrests of a number of believers, tensions between the state and religious Muslims that have mounted in recent months, Kauzlarich said that radical Islam - mainly sponsored by Iran - was a concern during my time in Baku. "The worry is that popular unhappiness with the state of Azerbaijani democracy, human rights violations and the extreme corruption will lead to the further growth of Islamic radicalism.   Everyone in Azerbaijan - especially the
government - should understand this threat and use Azerbaijan's economic wealth to address social concerns as well as improve the human rights situation," he said.

Since 1992 the OSCE Minsk Group represented by co-chairs from Russia, U.S. and France has been mediating in resolution of the conflict unleashed by Azerbaijan in 1988. At present the peace process is based on the Madrid Principles suggested by the OSCE MG in 2007 in Madrid and renovated in 2009.