The interlocutor of Aravot. am is Seyran Ohanyan, the leader of the opposition “Hayastan” faction and former Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia.
-“De facto, the obligation recorded in the tripartite statement, that is, to keep the Lachin Corridor under control, is not fulfilled by the peacekeeping troops of the Russian Federation either. Of course, something like this happens as a result of Azerbaijan’s illegal actions, but this does not change the situation because the main purpose of the presence of the peacekeeping troops of the Russian Federation is to prevent such illegality from happening and, in particular, to keep the Lachin Corridor under control.” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced at the Government session today. Is it likely that with the recent events, the closure of the Berdzor Corridor, and the situation around it, the ground is for the floor to replace the deployment of Russian peacekeepers with international peacekeepers, and what will this give us?
– First, we need to understand: in 2020, the 44-day war was stopped by the Russian Federation, and it was also stated in the tripartite statement that the Russian Federation should deploy peacekeeping forces, which has deployed and has carried out its mission for a long time. It speaks of the fact that, on the ground, the only guarantor today is the Russian Federation, with its presence in Artsakh and the corridor connecting Armenia with Artsakh.
The situation is also since the RA authorities need to be fully working with the Russian Federation, understanding that the Russian Federation should also expand its influence on Azerbaijan in the peacekeeping mission of ensuring the security of the people of Artsakh, based on its peacekeeping mission. In that regard, we must do everything, and it is mentioned in the speech of the opposition, to support the Russian Federation, the peacekeeping forces in the mission, for the complete implementation of the tasks. We also need to understand here what tactics and terminology are used by the Russian Federation in the framework of the peacekeeping mission to form relations with both sides and to influence both sides. Undoubtedly, everything must be done, so the Russian Federation expands its opportunities.
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This anti-Russian hysteria, which exists in Armenia and on the Internet, will not contribute to this. To be supported, you need to form proper relations and appropriate connections. RA must accept accepted negotiation steps and references in its foreign policy and understand who our strategic partner is and in what kind of security system we are. Finally, we must stay in our geography, which directly connects with the Russian Federation. Also, we need to determine whose work results from what we are in today’s situation. After all, the document was signed by the Government of RA on behalf of Nikol Pashinyan. Everything also depends on what kind of activity he shows in bilateral relations and on the international stage in multilateral relations.
Even though everyone in the United Nations supported us, everyone condemned it, requesting to open the corridor, and saying the people of Artsakh, who was once self-determined, have the right to live safely and sustainably in their historical territory. To ensure its development, the gap, the passionate attitude of the RA authorities is that they do everything with their actions; they even said during those meetings that the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is essential and Artsakh is a part of Azerbaijan. Here is the difference between the current government and the opposition. And there is nothing to prove this; it is an axiom because today’s authorities brought the fate of Artsakh, developing a free, independent security system with Armenia, to this state.
– It became known that on December 19, Azerbaijanis did not allow the convoy of Russian peacekeepers to pass. That is, the situation is getting worse; do you see the consequences?
– The conclusion should be one. We must understand that the people of Artsakh have lived in their territory and must live forever. Any other option is unacceptable to all of us. Everything should be done to achieve success in the relationship and the negotiation process. Of course, working with the international community, the big global family, their condemnation, moreover, unilateral condemnation of the way of working that Azerbaijan is implementing today should be the basis of our work.
– Armenia and some third countries are getting increasingly tense, seeing the positive developments there, and are ready to go to provocations to shake the normalization process. Recently, a well-known businessman invested in the Karabakh region by the name of Ruben Vardanyan, who has nothing to do with that region and is involved in the exploitation of natural resources and intensifies the destabilizing actions of foreign objects. Yashar Aliyev, Azerbaijan’s representative, especially remembered the Minister of State of Artsakh from the UN podium. What are Azerbaijan’s concerns?
It is clear that, in our opinion, Ruben Vardanyan is in Artsakh today because of his desire, will, and patriotism. I didn’t have the opportunity to talk with him and evaluate him. Still, I highly appreciate Ruben Vardanyan’s activities in Artsakh. He is trying to invest his abilities, skills, and management experience in Artsakh to get the people of Artsakh out of this challenging situation. It is clear that every step that is taken to support the people of Artsakh, to be in Artsakh, is at the center of the attention of the international community. The measures that keep the people of Artsakh in Artsakh, creating a secure and stable development situation for them, will also be at the center of the attention of Azerbaijan. For this reason, they will now try to implement any method to neutralize such people and reduce their role.
NELLY GRIGORYAN
