“Aliyev once again challenges not only Armenia but also the CSTO by presenting territorial ambitions and ultimatums to Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries, retiring this mediation format and the global international community, openly acknowledging its aggression.” Aravot Daily interviewed political scientist and director of the “Hayatsk” analytical center Anna Karapetyan.
– The Human Rights Defender regularly raises the issue of needing to create a buffer zone in Syunik and Gegharkunik, in particular, while the Armenian Foreign Ministry persistently puts forward the thesis of the need to withdraw troops in a mutual way. How do you assess this position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?
– This absurd situation started immediately after the 44-day war, when despite the clear stipulation that the troops remain in their positions at that time, without a formal demarcation and delimitation process, Armenia began to cede territories to Azerbaijan. The current government of the Republic of Armenia, which “de jure” is the guarantor of the preservation and security of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, simply accepted the presence of enemy troops in the territory of its own country.
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Political scientist and director of the “Hayatsk” analytical center Anna Karapetyan
The Azerbaijani side, perhaps astonished by such success, is consistently strengthening its position and resorting to new provocations. The causes and objectives of the provocations are the subject of a separate analysis. As for the proposal to withdraw the troops from the mirror and to set up monitoring mechanisms of the international, for example, the OSCE MG Co-Chairs, which was first made by Pashinyan and then repeated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they are absurd in nature. It turns out that the enemy is bringing its troops into the territory of our country and getting strong, and we, instead of pushing them out of our territory by our own forces and the operation of existing international bilateral and multilateral mechanisms, offer to withdraw our troops even more? What is the logic? As for the international monitoring mechanism, we already have a mechanism that should ensure the protection of our borders in the form of the RA-Russia agreements, the mechanisms operating under the CSTO. But Pashinyan not only does not take the necessary steps to make these mechanisms work, but also makes every effort to discredit them and invent incomprehensible mechanisms instead of international ones, that is, with the involvement of the West.
– The silence of RA politicians on the recent incidents in Vardenis was noteworthy when the RA Prime Minister and the Secretary of the Security Council were quite active and commented on the need to send CSTO troops to Kazakhstan, including the deployment of CSTO structures to Kazakhstan. Why does the Armenian government not show such diligence in case of encroachments on the RA borders?
– The activity of Armenian politicians in CSTO-related issues was in no way conditioned by their interest or serious role. It is just that Armenia, according to the rotation, is a CSTO presiding country, and Armenia had a formal role of the CSTO leader. It is another matter that even in this case we were convinced how the subjectivity of our country was nullified during Pashinyan’s time and because of him. As for the silence on border tensions, this is a really serious issue, because for a year now we have been witnessing the inaction of the current Armenian government in the face of serious encroachments on our territorial integrity and security.
On the one hand, even the seeming efforts are not consistent and stable, on the other hand, the international prestige of these authorities is so low that the efforts made are ignored. No real, active steps are taken either to attract the attention of the international community or to implement the existing international mechanisms. Moreover, even in this situation, Pashinyan speaks of building an era of peace and is upset that it requires strong nerves. So far, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Ministry have not even responded to Aliyev’s harsh statements made yesterday and their territorial ambitions towards Armenia, another threat of force.
Nelly GRIGORYAN
