Armenian analysts assess consequences of diplomats' visit to Shushi

The visit of diplomats to the city of Shushi, which has seceded under Azerbaijan's control, contributes to the escalation of the Karabakh conflict, since the diplomats' trip can be regarded as their recognition of the resolution of the Karabakh conflict in favour of Baku, Armenian analysts believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 7, 2021, Azeri President Ilham Aliev declared Shusha (the Armenian name is Shushi) to be the cultural capital of his country.

The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has invited the members of the diplomatic missions of the countries who took part on July 9-10 in the visit to Shushi organized by the Azerbaijani authorities. The Ambassadors of Turkey, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Israel, China and Japan took part in the visit, the APA News Agency has reported.

The Armenian party has stated that the Karabakh conflict can only be resolved peacefully through negotiations within the framework of the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) Minsk Group.

The full-scale war is over, but the process of which it was a part is not over, Akop Badalyan, a political observer, has noted. The diplomatic missions should have abandoned the visit of their officials to Karabakh, explaining that the conflict is not over yet, he has added.

The Armenia's statement regarding the diplomats who visited Shushi was a forced one, said Naira Airumyan, the editor of the "Lragir.am". The Armenian authorities have delegated their foreign policy and the Karabakh issue to Russia, "just to open the borders and organize the sale of copper," she believes.