BAKU (APA)–The International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based conflict watchdog, is preparing a comprehensive report on the process to normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia, the ICG representative in Baku, Tabib Huseynov revealed, the Azeri Press Agency reported Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference, Huseynov said the report will be released within a month.
He also commented on an upcoming constitutional referendum to remove presidential term limits in Azerbaijan. If passed, the March 18 referendum, will effectively pave the way for Azerbaijn’s president, Ilham Aliyev, to maintain executive control over the country indefinitely.
But Huseynov said the March 18 referendum does not relate to or impact the ICG’s activities in Azerbaijan, despite overwhelming concern that it would effectively consolidate Azeri President Ilham Aliyev’s indefinite control over the country.
Aliyev’s worsening belligerence toward Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh and increasing threats to launch a new war in the region have many analysts worried that the referendum would allow him to make good on his threats.
But according to Huseynov, the referendum does not pose a threat to stability in the region and is therefore not an immediate concern for the organization, which ICG which claims its mission to be to prevent and resolve deadly conflicts around the world through.
“International Crisis Group has touched upon elections in Azerbaijan, Armenia and other countries, but in all cases it was linked to the threat of violation of stability during and after the elections,” he said, noting that they do not hold those concerns with this referendum.
“The International Crisis Group does not deal with it directly. However, we are attentively following the discussions on referendum and consider that fateful issues raised in the referendum should not be adopted hastily. Such issues should be adopted after broad and free public discussions,” he added.