Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku International Multiculturalism Centre Azerbaijani Multiculturalism Textbook for Higher Education

Azerbaijan and Armenia restore diplomatic and economic relations.

3. 
   The Azerbaijanis return to the liberated areas, with the exception of Lachin and Kalbajar, under the protection of international peacekeeping forces.
   

4. 
   The status of Nagorno-Karabakh is to be resolved later by a
   

referendum there.

In order to speed up the process, the Basic Principles of a settlement to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh were presented to the parties in Madrid at the end of

November 2007. The Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents have held 21 meetings about these Basic Principles since June 2008. The Basic Principles worked out over five years during the Prague Process became the Madrid Document. There is agreement to a certain extent on some of these principles, while the outlines of agreement on other principles can be sensed during discussions at the presidential level. Once common agreement has been reached on all the issues in this context, a final document could be adopted.

If we look at the history of the talks to settle the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, we shall see that from 1992 international organizations and leading states increased their mediation efforts and from April 1999 steps were taken in a new format – direct dialogue between the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia. More than 50 meetings have been held between the presidents of the two states.

In this arduous talks process the Azerbaijani side has faced some difficulties in defending its just position, because from the start of the conflict, aggressive Armenia has taken a non-constructive position in the talks and has refused to give up its occupation policy. On the other hand, the talks have been hampered by the double standards of the international community towards solution of this conflict and the inactivity of international organizations such as the UN and OSCE in implementing the proposals and resolutions they adopted. At the same time, the failure to take practical steps against aggressive Armenia has not only damaged the reputation of the OSCE, it has destroyed hope in the Minsk Group. Nevertheless, the Azerbaijani government regularly takes an active part in the meetings of international organizations and respects the OSCE proposals for a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Azerbaijan has enjoyed a number of diplomatic achievements. On the initiative of the Azerbaijani delegation, the ‘situation

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in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan’ was included on the agenda of the UN General Assembly session on 29 October 2004. Later resolutions ‘On the situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan’ were adopted at the 98th plenary meeting of the 60th session of the UN General Assembly on 7 September 2006 and at the 86th plenary meeting of the 62nd session on 14 March 2008. The resolutions condemn Armenian settlement and arson in the occupied territories. The four resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council call for the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. In addition, they affirm the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and the right of refugees and displaced persons to return to their homes.

Similarly, some international organizations have taken positive action for a solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and its member states support Azerbaijan at the international level and are committed to the ideas of Islamic solidarity set out in the organization’s charter. The OIC supports a just and fair settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh based on the principles of the inviolability of borders and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. It should also be noted that the OIC is the first international institution to recognize Armenia as the aggressor and the genocide committed in Khojali against the Azerbaijanis.

Resolutions adopted at the European Parliament and at NATO summits unanimously recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and call for an end to the occupation of Azerbaijani territories. The final declarations adopted at the NATO summits in 1994 in Brussels, in 2006 in Riga, in 2008 in Budapest, in 2009 in Strasbourg and Kehl and in 2010 in Lisbon reaffirm the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Azerbaijan. Moreover,

a resolution recognizing the territorial integrity of sovereign states was adopted at the 62nd session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, held in Istanbul in November 2016.

All the documents on a peaceful settlement of the conflict adopted by international organizations aim to strengthen the position of Azerbaijan and affirm the need to settle the conflict in accordance with the principles of international law. Azerbaijan’s position on settlement of the conflict has not changed. The conflict should be settled within Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized borders and in accordance with its territorial integrity. This position is based on the norms and principles of international law, the UN Charter, Helsinki Final Act and numerous other international documents on the settlement of conflicts. Therefore, if the leading states want to prevent the threat of aggression in international relations, they have to take practical measures in accordance with Chapter VII of the UN Charter and force Armenia to obey the will of the international community.

Armenia ignores the documents on the peaceful settlement of the conflict adopted by international organizations, regularly violates the ceasefire, fires on Azerbaijani villages close to the border with Armenia or the contact line separating the two sides, and carries out sabotage to provoke hostilities. A sabotage operation took place in early April 2016 and has become known in Azerbaijan’s contemporary history as the ‘four-day war’. Successful counter-attacks by the Azerbaijani army on 2-5 April 2016 achieved significant strategic goals for Azerbaijan. First of all, Azerbaijan won psychologically. The Azerbaijani army struck knock-out blows against the enemy and liberated strategically important highlands in the north and south of Karabakh. Thus, Azerbaijan demonstrated its ability, potential and fighting spirit to liberate its territories. As a result, the four-day war reminded the world that 20 per cent of Azerbaijan’s territory is occupied by Armenia.

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As a logical continuation, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan signed an instruction ‘On measures to restore the liberated village of Jojuq Marjanli in Jabrayil District’. The document states that the successful counter-attacks of the Azerbaijani army in April 2016 made it possible for civilians to live in peace in Jojuq Marjanli. The instruction called for fundamental restoration work so that the civilian population can return home to their historical land, which is now under the complete control of the armed forces of Azerbaijan. All this shows that the April battles were the beginning of a significant military victory. Moreover, the restoration of the village of Jojuq Marjanli marks the start of the mass return of those displaced from their homes.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly and unequivocally stated that ‘The territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is not up for negotiation.’ This boosts hopes for a just settlement of the conflict that will ensure the territorial integrity of the country. Similarly, President Aliyev has emphasized that Azerbaijan has grounds to liberate its territory, which are recognized by international legal norms:

‘The territorial integrity of Azerbaijan must be restored. We will not accept the creation of a second Armenian state in the territory of Azerbaijan. We will never grant independence to Nagorno-Karabakh. If anyone is waiting for it, they are waiting in vain. It will never happen!’

At the same time, drawing attention to Armenia’s inability to live without financial assistance from abroad President Aliyev said: ‘If the Armenians could achieve some success in their mythological activities prior to the April battles, the April battles devastated their propaganda and shook Armenian society. The after-shock can still be

felt there. The April events have led to a severe military and political crisis.’ The President noted that these were short-term battles and stressed that the administration of aggressive Armenia should learn a lesson from this event. He added that Azerbaijan would never agree to the occupation of its lands and would restore territorial integrity: ‘Today the Azerbaijani flag is flying in Lalatapa and Aghdara. It will fly in Shusha and Khankandi, too.’

Multiculturalism as a positive institution of the modern world stands against the blot of Armenian terrorism on the modern world. Multiculturalism aims to preserve the achievements of humanity throughout history, to manage the coexistence of polyethnic and poly-confessional society based on the principles of tolerance and to take practical measures to protect the material and cultural heritage of mankind. One way to further this aim is the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. A basic condition of a settlement is to abandon double standards in the international relations system and put an end to the fantasies, dreamt up by the Armenian lobby. If these objectives are fulfilled, multiculturalism will enter a new stage in its development.