What's in a name? Everything, apparently...

Another good post, Onnik. It is indeed refreshing to witness some cases of Armenians and Azerbaijanis seeing eye-to-eye, and, certainly, who can deny the intellectual or humanistic in, say, denouncing injustice or sympathising with lives lost in natural calamities? Or even unnatural ones. I know I felt bad for Azerbaijani families when that crazed gunman went through the Oil Academy a few months ago, and I am sure more than one Azerbaijani could understand how families were torn apart in Armenia when that plane from Iran crashed last week.

However, there is a place where the line gets drawn, in my opinion. Nagorno-Karabakh, past and potential future ethnic conflict is a matter of national security, very much a political issue and, as such, it requires a political model, a political approach to resolve it. Armenians and Azerbaijanis can share a meal, do business, do anything really, but this social interaction cannot extend into the political sphere when it comes to resolving such a dispute, I would say.

Can it create common ground so that our societies will get over it, ultimately? I hope so. But I don't believe a bottom-up approach will ever work. The leadership has to sit down and decide that things are okay and then, slowly but surely, the peoples will get used to each other and will certainly come up with a modus vivendi.

Nareg, I disagree. In fact, I strongly disagree. The fact is that governments and political figures have used conflict to come to power or to maintain it. Hatred and animosity is perpetuated not through objective reporting or information, but by propaganda, misinformation and negative stereotyping by the mass media.

Now, look at England and Ireland. Historical grievances that stretch back as far if not further as Armenians and Azerbaijanis as well as a territorial dispute. Yet, the English and Irish get on fine and the battle is between the nationalist minority and not the majority of people.

However, here in this region it is those nationalists that effectively brainwash the population and intimidate or threaten anyone who suggests another approach. This is the problem of the South Caucasus, especially when it is the governments that perpetuate ethnic rivalry for their own benefit.

Until that changes there will neither be democracy or any notable change in the region. Of course, we can agree to differ, but this is how I look at it, and as a British citizen find the petty ethnic rivalries somewhat backwards and provincial, just as political debate and societies are here anyway.

Those looking to the future with an open mind however, instead of looking at the past with an often distorted and subjective view force fed through schools and the mass media, offer the hope that governments have so far failed to deliver on. Of course, I understand that I am in the minority with that view.

Oh well...

I agree, dear Onnik, with your observations about the republics of Caucasus. Yet, I am rather skeptical in the paths for progress that you are suggesting - such as grassroots pressuring of governments to heed to the majority's demands - given the fact that the region is surrounded with three not less provincial, undemocratic and backward governments: I mean Russia, Turkey and Iran. And surely, these governments are using and will use their influence on the region to promote their interests and would rather see puppet governments in the Caucasus. They are using the conflict in Karabagh, Osetia and Abkhazia for their own interests. It seems that a peaceful and developing Caucasus is not in non of their interests. Do you think it will be possible to overcome or at least circumvent their influence?

Surely the examples of the English and the Irish, the Germans and the French - just about everyone in Western and Northern Europe - are remarkable and worthy of emulation. But they are such recent events, having only been initiated after the Second World War. I believe that the strong thumb of the United States in establishing NATO and what became the European Union in the face of the Soviet threat gave those efforts the greatest push. Plus, having a good economy, a population that is relatively well-off, helps a great deal.

I hope to see this region in that same state sometime, but the variables are just so many and so uncontrollable. The Europeans "getting over" their past differences are the exception in the world, not the rule, and, in fact, stereotypes and new differences, such as with recent immigrants, tend to crop up, and some issues remain, such as the Basques, or the troubles in the Balkans.

I hope to see this region "get over" its past as well and, you are right, the attitude of the leadership is tremendously important for that. But that's just it; it is the leadership which suddenly has to render itself mature and far-sighted, and maybe such a leadership will stem from a younger, more aware generation, but the tradition of grassroots influence on governments doesn't get very far around here, I find.

I do look forward myself, though, to the day when the societies of the region maintain their extremist nationalists in a minority. Can't argue against that.

Nareg, do not forget the opposition too. These stereotypes and ethnic divisions are also played up a lot by them too. It remains to be seen whether they will exploit a possible Karabakh peace if such an agreement is as close as some say. However, the signs do not look good.

As an indication of how ridiculous the situation in Azerbaijan can get, news just in reports that yet another scandal connected to Eurovision has emerged. Quite frankly, and despite infantile antics from both sides in the past, this is just plain stupid and one supposes that Azerbaijan should now face suspension from the competition unless it sorts its act out. Is Baku interested in peaceful relations with Armenia or not?

Forty-three people in Azerbaijan who voted for a song by neighbouring Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest have been questioned by the police. One man told the BBC he was accused of being unpatriotic and a "potential security threat", after he sent a text backing Armenia's song, Jan Jan.

[...]

The BBC's South Caucasus correspondent, Tom Esslemont, says it is unclear why the Azeri authorities have chosen to call people in for questioning three months after this year's Eurovision song contest.

Civil rights campaigners say freedom of expression is increasingly suppressed in Azerbaijan under the presidency of Ilham Aliyev.

Through this latest row, some have even accused his government of attempting to provoke tensions with Armenia, 15 years after the war over Nagorno-Karabakh left the two countries scarred and bitterly divided, our correspondent says. link