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GENERAL OVERVIEW
Nazim IMANOV
Nazim Imanov, D.Sc. (Econ.), professor, Editor-in-Chief of
Kavkaz & Globalizatsia (Baku, Azerbaijan)
All the sociological polls conducted during the year, including during the election campaign, showed that the country’s main problem was Nagorno-Karabakh. A significant portion of the population—between 40 and 55% according to the poll data—believes the only possible way to resolve it is by using military force. But even these respondents did not mean that the country should immediately engage in combat action to liberate the territory occupied by Armenia. This led to a public consensus: the absolute majority agreed that military might should be built up, although some respondents viewed force as a way of putting political pressure on Armenia, while others saw it as a prerequisite for beginning combat action.
In the fall, when preparations for forming the budget reached their peak, the government announced that it intended to double spending on defense. This news was welcomed, and the decision was supported by even the most radical opponents of the government.
Society showed a heightened interest in the talks with Armenia mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group, particularly since they were perceptibly gaining in momentum. In this respect, criticism by the government, opposition, NGOs, and the mass media of the Minsk Group for its passivity in previous years was noticeably toned down. There were even hopes that a peace agreement might be entered before the end of the year. But, alas, these expectations were not justified. Nevertheless, it can be confidently maintained that the talks have paved the way for intensified diplomatic activity in the near future, which, in our opinion, will also be promoted by the fact that no important elections are anticipated in the conflicting countries.
A public consensus was also reached with respect to Azerbaijan finding a way during the talks to resolve the problem step-by-step, which…………………
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