No progress in the next two years
The Armenian-Azerbaijani contacts that have become rather tense recently make uneasy not only the societies of the two countries, but also the international organizations, although the latter do not take rather tangible steps to cut our neighbors down to size and put a period to that main issue, i.e. military rhetoric, military arrogance and provocation on the border will lead to nothing good. The international organizations must probably make stricter and direct statements against Azerbaijan’s destructiveness, since as the saying goes, “can the Ethiopian change his skin?” The Azerbaijani side seems not to understand the internationally admitted language yet. The Armenian side is ready to speak with his neighbor his own language, but it will lead to completely different situation. Thanks to the balanced and cold-blooded attitude of the Armenian side, the status quo has been maintained so far. The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs will visit the region on November 28 – let us hope that their visits that have become systematic will produce concrete results and the Azerbaijani side will be compelled to act rationally.
Armen Mkhitaryan, the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) MP, the president of the Afghan War Veterans’ Union and a participant in the Artsakh war observed during a conversation with “Aravot” that Azerbaijan’s attitude resembles the fascists’ attitude, as “that country is engaged in quite dangerous games and first and foremost for its own people. Disseminating malice, poison and aggressiveness among its people, the neighboring country threatens the regional stability, threatens the neighboring peoples’ prospect of peacefully and harmoniously living side by side. At the end of the day, Azerbaijan must understand that the people of Artsakh are determined and they have been shaping their destiny themselves for more than twenty years and free and sovereign Artsakh cannot be a toy for anybody. The Azerbaijani leadership must take into consideration the accomplished fact. I am convinced that ordinary people, Azerbaijani people are more willing to be neighbors of the residents of Artsakh and Armenia, rather than their enemies. Militarization of the issue will lead to nothing good and first and foremost for the Azerbaijanis.”
Our interlocutor is convinced that in the case of tense military situation, the Azerbaijani side will merely face a crushing defeat and while the issue is under negotiation, Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev had better prepare the people of the country for peace, as the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs have been urging.
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Armen Mkhitaryan is convinced that Azerbaijan’s establishment tries to solve only one issue by aggressive statements and snipers’ shots – the retention of its own power, as socio-economic situation in the neighboring country is not favorable to say the least.
By the way, Giro Manoyan, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Hay Dat (Armenian Cause) Office coordinator, talked about the above-mentioned issues yesterday. It is not casual at all that the ideas of both the opposition and the establishment in the Artsakh issue coincide. Giro Manoyan stated yesterday, “I think that the mediators will particularly focus on decreasing the possibility of war in the two upcoming years without trying to guarantee serious political move.” The ARF Hay Dat Office coordinator thinks that there are expected no serious moves in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement for two reasons. First elections will be held both in Armenia and Azerbaijan in the two upcoming years – by the way, elections are expected in the three co-chair countries too. Second, “Azerbaijan has been elected non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and will constantly try to transfer the Nagorno-Karabakh issue into that area and the world understands that the main and only format is still in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group by the mediation of the Minsk Group co-chairs.”
In response to a question what the Armenian side should do to restrict the snipers and the Azerbaijani provocations, Armen Mkhitaryan during a conversation with us and Giro Manoyan at a press conference gave the same answer – the only effective way of restricting Azerbaijan is responding to their actions with appropriate actions.
MARGARIT YESAYAN
