Azerbaijani servicemen behead our dead hero, put it in the bag, walk around their peaceful settlements, demonstrate and cause glee among men, women and children in those settlements. Such and other equally horrific videos are taken and disseminated by the Azeris themselves and received similarly heated glee of their fellow-citizens on the Facebook.
I am writing this not to generate hatred towards Azerbaijanis. Nor to prove the serious illness of the neighboring country. Nor hoping that Russia, America or Europe will condemn it. I am not naïve not to know how far their “pragmatism” extends, neither we need them nor they need us.
I am writing this solely for the “internal” (Armenian) audience. After seeing so many things (I must say that I have seen a little more than it circulates on the Facebook), I am strongly against the “Madrid”, “Kazan” or any similar “principles”. In other words, I am against voluntary concession of not only 7 regions but even a few meters in exchange for some uncertain promises regarding Artsakh’s status. Because Azerbaijan is going to use those few meters for the same brutal terrorism.
Any settlement implies a kind of a situation where Armenians and Azerbaijanis must live side by side in peace and mutual trust. But if I’m 100 percent sure that Azerbaijani’s aim is to eliminate me and not only to eliminate but also behead me and all other things (I would refrain from detailing for what “internal censorship”), then why I should give the chance to do it without fighting. I’m not saying that we should refuse to concessions and to adhere to “not an inch of land” maximalist principle. I’m simply suggesting to face the reality and realize that the enemy to carry out its atrocities in “every inch of land”.
Certainly, if the Nagorno-Karabakh is declared an independent state and the “three co-chairing countries” are the guarantors of the independence, it will be a powerful lever of security but even in that case, I would be against handing over a territory because the next day after the handover and the enemy’s artillery would appear in those territories attacking this independent state. I understand that it would be politically more difficult for Azerbaijan to do. But the neighboring country had overcome many of such “obstacles”.
I do not know what the current and former presidents of Armenia, as well as Artsakh president, are thinking about this but it seems to me that after the 4-day war, the Minsk Group proposals are not opportune. To say the least.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
