In his interview with the journalists, Parliamentarian and member of the Republican Party Mher Sedrakyan told that the victory of Armenians in Karabakh was made possible only thanks to the support of the Russians. Was it true in reality? The Azerbaijani ex-Defense Minister Rahim Gaziyev (he took his office in 1992-1993) gave an interview to Azerbaijani vesti.az news website referring to the hostilities in the Karabakh front in the early 90s. Gaziyev, who highly appreciates the ex-Defense Minister of Russia, now the late Pavel Grachev, told the journalist, “Thanks to my good relations with Grachev, during the distribution of the assets of the Soviet troops (that left Azerbaijan within only 3 months), we received more than it was planned. Do not forget also the operation of Agdere (this is how the Azerbaijani call Martakert, note – V. S.) operation, which was executed by the Russian paratroopers. The Armenians had appeared in a tough situation there. And the command to help us was given by Grachev himself.
We should not forget that we liberated 52 percent of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. And it is thanks to the support of the Russian troops.” In the same interview, there is a remarkable narration. On May 15, 1992, Tashkent hosted the meeting of the leaders of the CIS countries, to which Azerbaijan was invited as an observer. Rahim Gaziyev recalls a phrase said by Yeltsin in drink. “During one of the intermissions of the meeting, I wanted to approach Yeltsin and explain him. Victor Barannikov, Pavel Grachev, Levon Ter-Petrosyan and the then Armenia’s Defense Minister Vazgen Sargsyan were standing next to him. Yeltsin hugs Ter-Petrosyan, kisses him and says in a loud voice, “Listen, Levon Hakobovich, I will bring these Turks (meaning the Azerbaijanis, note – V. S.) to your knees.”
Voskan SARGSYAN
