The interlocutor of “Aravot” is Zhirayr Azizyan, a political scientist from Artsakh
– Mr. Azizyan, there was information that Azerbaijan refused to participate in the Stepanakert-Baku negotiations with the mediation of the US. Instead, there is information that Azerbaijan and Russia want the meeting to occur in Evlakh. The Foreign Ministry of Artsakh has stated that the dialogue between Artsakh and Azerbaijan should happen in an internationally agreed format with an appropriate mandate. How do you evaluate these developments and the proposal to organize a meeting in Evlakh?
– First, I should mention that Azerbaijan and Russia are not trying to force the Artsakh side to hold that meeting in Evlakh or another Azerbaijani city. Still, Azerbaijan is trying to force the Artsakh side. And, naturally, it tries to do it through Russia. And the Russian side has repeatedly stated that it is ready to organize such a meeting. And, it is natural that the Russian side will listen to the proposals of the parties regarding the format of the meeting and the rest of the issues, will try to do everything possible so that it will be the mediating party and, through its mediation, the meeting will take place, negotiations and certain agreements will be reached through its mediation. Russia will thus try to leave the Western bloc out of the process, be it the Brussels platform or the Washington platform. Yes, Azerbaijan is trying to refuse meetings in the format proposed by the Western bloc, instead choosing a more profitable platform for itself and trying to break the format and logic of the negotiation process. Some people think Azerbaijan will come and sit at the negotiation table on an equal footing. Still, the Azerbaijani side presents an agenda where only demands are presented. The Azerbaijani side has stated in its numerous statements that it will not even discuss any issues of individual rights and security of Artsakh Armenians.
– At the last press conference, Nikol Pashinyan, addressing the people of Artsakh, said: “What do you want? Do you want to sacrifice the sovereignty of Armenia?” To whom do you want to sacrifice? Do you want to sacrifice the state of Armenia? To whom do you want to sacrifice? You can’t; it’s impossible.” In other words, he puts into circulation a thesis that by handing over Artsakh, it will be possible to preserve Armenian statehood. Is it so?
– If it were so, then today, the Azerbaijani troops would not be in the sovereign territory of Armenia. If it were so, the authorities of Azerbaijan at the highest level would not have repeatedly announced that they have territorial ambitions for the territories of Armenia, up to the capital Yerevan. Nikol Pashinyan understood very well that this was not the case. It’s just that he has such an inner conviction that by giving Artsakh, it will be possible to reduce Azerbaijan’s new escalation and aggression. But reducing the risk does not mean eliminating it. In other words, he is still determining if, by ceding Artsakh, there will be a 100 percent guarantee that Azerbaijan will not resort to new escalations and will not start a war. But we must understand that following this logic, we must make further concessions tomorrow. And every time we give in like this, we will lose everything, including the sovereignty of Armenia. The people of Artsakh do not try to make a scapegoat independence and sovereignty of Armenia, and it is for the preservation of the sovereignty of Armenia that the people of Artsakh made a statement from the beginning. If you remember, in the first days of the blockade, the people of Artsakh declared that if this is the price for preserving Armenia’s sovereignty, then we are ready to suffer these hardships. And I, as a citizen of Artsakh and many conscious Artsakh citizens, can claim that if we had the confidence that the surrender of Artsakh would save Armenian statehood, then one could think. But we do not have even one percent doubt that due to this concession, there will be new demands. These demands still exist today, and Azerbaijan will try to achieve the fulfillment of those demands.
Rosa HOVHANNISYAN
