When the Azerbaijani president declares at the congress of the ruling party that they “did not give in to emotions,” otherwise they could have erected a “triumphal arch” in Yerevan as well, many in Armenia see this as an “argument” in favor of international law. Supposedly, by saying this, the Azerbaijani president is confirming that they were restrained by international law and by the prospect of the consequences arising from it. They, in turn, try to turn this into an “argument” that international law protects Armenia, whereas in the case of Artsakh, it was on Azerbaijan’s side.
In practice, this is yet another episode of self-deception—or of manipulating the Armenian public’s consciousness. If Azerbaijan had any respect for, or was in any way constrained by, international law, its president would, for example, have uttered at least a word of regret over the infiltration of one of its servicemen into Armenia and his threats against a civilian Armenian woman and her children. Instead, Aliyev is threatening not only Armenia’s former authorities but its current authorities as well. If Ilham Aliyev had any respect for, or was constrained by, international law, he would order an end to the “Western Azerbaijan” project and its manifestations, rather than taking it all the way to the UN General Assembly podium.
Therefore, the issue is by no means one of being in the realm of the “ironclad protection of international law.” Rather, Aliyev is essentially acknowledging that Azerbaijan has relied not on its own “emotions,” but on those of the Armenian authorities—their fear of losing power. It is on this basis that he has built Azerbaijan’s claims toward Armenia, pursuing a policy of advancing them without unnecessary military moves. Aliyev does not give in to their “emotions”; instead, he has fully relied—and continues to rely—on the “emotions” of Nikol Pashinyan and his political team: their determination to retain power at any cost. Those “emotions” are quite sufficient to sell the “peace” dictated by Azerbaijan’s terms and demands to a substantial part of Armenian society as though it were “manna from heaven.”
Aliyev, apparently, is sparing his own “emotions,” perhaps calculating that they may still come in handy.
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Hakob BADALYAN
