The settlement, where the representatives of Artsakh and Azerbaijan met yesterday through the mediation of Russian peacekeepers, the media, and even the Armenian ones, call it Khojalu ( Khojaly). Although previously, the NKR (Nagorno- Karabakh Republic) authorities renamed it “Ivanyan” after the hero of the first Artsakh war, Kristapor Ivanyan. Azerbaijan officially gives distinctive names to the meeting participants: that group is headed by Ramin Mammadov, MP OF Milli Majlis and responsible for relations with Armenians in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan” The head of the group on the exploitation of natural resources of Azerbaijan, Massim Mammadov and experts from the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Economy, the State Real Estate Service, and the “AzerGold” company were “in touch” from the Azerbaijani side. Some Armenian media reported that these people had already visited the The Kashen mine, the exploitation of which, according to the statement made by the Artsakh government at the end of December, was stopped by a joint decision with the “Base Metals” company.
Samvel Shahramanyan, the Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Artsakh, whom Azerbaijan officially named the “representative of Armenians living in Karabakh,” participated in the meeting in “Khojalu.” The agenda of the meeting is also presented differently. According to the Armenian side, “the issue of restoring the unimpeded passage of cars through the Lachin corridor and confirming the purposeful use of the corridor was discussed. The parties also discussed the uninterrupted supply of electricity and gas.”
Azerbaijan reported that “the issue of integrating Armenians living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan into Azerbaijan was discussed by the Constitution and laws of Azerbaijan.”
According to some reports, at least two demands of Azerbaijan have been fulfilled: Ruben Vardanyan has been removed from his post, and the “monitoring group” has visited Kashen. The corridor has not been opened, and the electricity and gas supply has not been restored. Another package of demands includes, for example, the installation of an X-ray device at the checkpoint of the corridor (to which, it seems, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov has expressed his support).
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Azerbaijan reported that “the issue of integrating Armenians living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan into Azerbaijan was discussed by the Constitution and laws of Azerbaijan.”
According to some reports, at least two demands of Azerbaijan have been fulfilled: Ruben Vardanyan has been removed from his post, and the “monitoring group” has visited Kashen. The corridor has not been opened, and the electricity and gas supply has not been restored. Another package of demands includes, for example, the installation of an X-ray device at the checkpoint of the corridor (to which, it seems, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov has expressed his support).
After fulfilling that requirement, it is not excluded that the corridor will partially operate, with constant incidents and new restrictions of Azerbaijan. After that, new demands will be put forward. There is no adequate person in RA and Artsakh who doubts that these demands will not end.
By the way, where is the international format of “contacts” that the authorities of Armenia and Artsakh like to talk about so much?
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
