Since April 23, Azerbaijan has closed the Hakari River bridge of the new highway connecting Armenia from the village of Kornidzor to Artsakh by installing an illegal checkpoint, which, due to the blockade, was operated by Russian peacekeepers and the mission of the International Red Cross Organization for humanitarian purposes. The aggressor has put the Republic of Artsakh under a complete blockade. The Foreign Ministry of Artsakh has stated that any proposal to discuss Azerbaijan’s illegal demands encourages Baku’s criminal plans. The interlocutor of “Aravot” about the situation is Vitaly Mangasaryan, an expert at the “Henaket” analytical center.
– Mr. Mangasaryan, according to your analysis, from the short-term and long-term perspective, what are the consequences of Azerbaijan’s illegal installation of the checkpoint from the political and security views of the Artsakh issue?
– Azerbaijan is trying to solve several problems by placing a checkpoint in the Berdzor corridor. First, to terrorize the Artsakh Armenians, to create an atmosphere of despair, the ultimate goal of which is that people leave Artsakh so that Artsakh is emptied. In the medium term, as they have stated on various occasions, Azerbaijan’s overarching goal is the dissolution of the Artsakh Defense Army, which will mean a final solution to the Artsakh issue in favor of Azerbaijan.
Why are Azerbaijanis so afraid of Artsakh Defense Ministry? In my opinion, the goal is that, especially in the long term, when they plan some actions against Armenia to open the so-called “Zangezur Corridor” by force, they are insured from the Artsakh sector and reduce the risks. In other words, they are trying to finally neutralize the “danger” from the Artsakh side with such steps to move on to solving different problems. On various occasions, senior officials announce the corridor, eight villages, etc.
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– How do you assess the reactions of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Defense to this situation? To what extent can we consider them indecisive and inadequate for the condition?
– As long as Russia’s military-political leadership does not take any action, especially in the current situation, their statements can be described as toothless. It turns out that at the level of the Russian Foreign Ministry, it is declared that the checkpoint is unacceptable, it contradicts the statement of November 9, and weeks after that, Azerbaijan set up that checkpoint. Azerbaijan once again passes over the statement at the level of the Russian Foreign Ministry. With the change of the commander of the peacekeeping troops, Russia will at least now try to implement specific practical steps and eliminate the checkpoint through negotiations or certain other methods.
Otherwise, the change of the commander did not have any tangible results. I also hope that with the change of the commander, the soldiers of the peacekeeping force will feel even more confident because, in the many videos published by Azerbaijan, it is evident in what contemptuous tone and gestures they speak to the Russian peacekeepers who are, to put it mildly, offensive and should be unacceptable for them.
– As in the previous cases, it can be assumed that the government of Armenia considers only Russia responsible. What, in your opinion, should have been the adequate response to this situation by the leadership of Armenia?
– Nikol Pashinyan’s recent statements in the National Assembly do not benefit the Artsakh issue in any way in this situation. On the contrary, they harm even more. After those statements, the Azerbaijani side allowed itself even more freedom and presented to its public the internal audience that it managed to force the Armenian side to recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, including Artsakh, and to show to the international community that if the Armenian side officially makes such a statement, then the international community has nothing to do either. The problem of Artsakh is transferred from the international dimension to the domestic sphere. Azerbaijan considers it its internal case. In addition, recently, Azerbaijan admitted that after November 9, they could not set up a checkpoint because of tremendous international pressure from different sides. If the Armenian side does not know what steps are needed in the current situation, then at least it should proceed from the logic of not harming the process with its actions and not complicating the situation even more. But the opposite happens. The statements made by the Armenian side at the highest level do not help the settlement of issues in the current situation; on the contrary, they harm.
Luiza SUKIASYAN
“Aravot” daily, 29.04.2023
