DPA Chairman Aram Sargsyan about the weapons in 1980s and NKR recognition
– At the meeting of the national Security Council, RA President Serzh Sargsyan instructed to work in the direction of signing a treaty of military cooperation with Nagorno-Karabakh, moreover, at a meeting with ambassadors accredited to Armenia, the RA President said that should military actions continue and escalate into larger scales, the Republic of Armenia will recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh. If we leave the emotional and patriotic outbursts aside, it also means to join the war. Your party, however, had offered multi-step combination in its statements on the matter. What fears and concerns had you taken into consideration?
– We are telling this for many years, should we do such a thing to recognize NKR, the world must be prepared for perceiving it. We must prepare the states and the international community. The result of only the military operations is not sufficient for them to understand why we are doing this. Therefore, first, we must send an appropriate diplomatic note to the UN member states by presenting the details and legal facts of the legitimacy of the NKR formation. It should be represented in full on how the so-called conflict was raised and how it was developed legally. Only after this is done, also based on the latest aggression Azerbaijan’s brazen behavior, we gain the right to say that we are also obliged to recognize the actual status of NKR over 25 years, otherwise, we cannot continue the negotiation process.
I want to remind you that in recent years, Azerbaijan became so arrogant that if in the past it was talked about the “occupation” of seven territories, now it is said that the NKR is also “occupied.” Moreover, Turkey has become so arrogant that the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister and the HQ of Armen Forces announce that they must do everything to support Azerbaijan to free the “occupied” territories, as they are “sacred lands” for them. The Armenian side was silent, did not express any note of discontent, did not apply to the international court, saying that Armenians have declared jihad. We need to document all this too. Yesterday, they failed to keep their promise, today, they did. It is not excluded that they will do tomorrow too if we cope with it. I welcome the President’s statement regarding the mutual aid agreement but steps must be taken to achieve it. The recognition of the legitimacy of the NKR formation by RA National Assembly, incidentally, will not change anything in the negotiations process. Moreover, therewith, we make the NKR a party to the negotiation process. And we represent not only a statement to the world but also legal arguments. And I do not understand why our diplomacy is taking a passive stance every time.
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– After the four-day war unleashed by Azerbaijan, Yerevan officially claims that Nagorno-Karabakh will return to the negotiating table. Do you see real opportunities for returning NKR to the table of negotiations?
– If we only insist without substantiating anything, it will not work. Every step requires justification. It is another question if this-or-that country does not accept what you say. Anyway, they will have to reckon with that opinion, at least FYI
– “Yes, we are fighting mostly with the arms made in the 1980s, but this three-day conflict revealed what’s the mode of fighting of each party…,” – said RA President Serzh Sargsyan at the press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Isn’t it concerning? The Armenian side was always arguing that we are also getting modern military equipment from Russia, wasn’t it? Also, there is money for the renovation of various blocks of Government buildings, money for luxurious service cars and son on, but our army is fighting with the arms made in the 1980s.
– This is a topic of a separate and serious discussion. At the same time, I think it was just said in a more descriptive way. Otherwise, yes, how to understand that Russia has given a large amount of weapons and armor to us which as they claim is modern and so to speak preserving parity. If we have taken weapons made in the 80’s … I’m sorry, who are you saying? I am surprised. But maybe it was said that we would win without weapons?
Of course, we have old weapons but we also have weapons like “C-300”, “Iskander-M”, “Smerch” and so on. It is another question what kind of weapon the soldier is holding in his hand. And we should talk not only about renovations. We have repeatedly said that the numerous loans that we have taken were for helping our army rather than running into debt for nothing. If our internal problems in terms of economic development were solved, we would be in much better shape. I do not want to open the brackets now and talk about what would happen in terms of resources if the hostilities were not ceased. It is not the day and place for it. But the fact that we have to make serious conclusions from these four days war pertaining to the settlement of our internal problems, there is no doubt. Otherwise, we will not be secured from such problems.
Interview by Nelly GRIGORYAN, “Aravot” daily
