Category: 2021

Russian President Vladimir Putin has played an active role in resolving the armed conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)] in the fall of 2020, said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in an interview with National Defense Magazine.

“It was the evening of November 8. And on November 9, we agreed to have a phone conversation again, as Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin] played a very active role in the events; he was conveying my messages to [Armenian PM Nikol] Pashinyan, and was conveying the messages from him to me. The agreement lasted until late at night and lasted until after midnight. It was November 10 in Baku time, so we call it the ‘November 10 statement,’ whereas it was [still] November 9 in Moscow,” Aliyev said.

According to him, the text of the trilateral statement on ceasefire was finally managed to be agreed.

“Naturally, it was supposed to be signed, but Vladimir Vladimirovich asked me not to insist that Pashinyan sign it in our presence. The President of Russia is a very tactful person, very gentle, he treats everyone very respectfully. And I said that I will not insist, I do not need any additional moments related to the humiliation of Pashinyan, as it is not a humiliation of a person, but of a country, whereas we cannot allow that to ourselves,” the Azerbaijani president said.

Aliyev stated that he first told Putin about the war in Karabakh on October 7.

“Naturally, we were in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin at various phases of the hostilities. Our first telephone conversation since the start of the war took place on October 7, his birthday. I traditionally congratulate Vladimir Vladimirovich on his birthday. And this was our first phone contact from the moment when ten days had passed since the start of hostilities. We also discussed how and what to do to end the war,” the Azerbaijani president said.

In 2021, 110,000 people have already left Armenia. Vahe Hakobyan, a member of the opposition “Armenia” Faction in the National Assembly, told this to reporters Friday.

He noted that emigration from Armenia has reached cosmic levels.

According to him, extensive emigration has started from Syunik Province, too.

“The biggest emigration is from this area. The authorities are ‘helping’ to empty the villages. People are leaving their residence in despair,” the opposition lawmaker added.

Armenia is expected to undergo the process of Turkification. This is what Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia, member of the opposition “Armenia” faction Ishkhan Saghatelyan told reporters today.

“We have serious concern, and we also condemn the flirting between Nikol Pashinyan and Erdogan that began these past few days. It’s not by chance that yesterday Erdogan said Turkey is receiving positive signals from Armenia. It’s clear to see that there are confidential ties and talks between Armenia and Turkey, and this isn’t in Armenia’s interests.

Those who justify and say Armenia needs to hold talks with Turkey, it’s very clear that Turkey has set forth three conditions (renunciation of Artsakh, renunciation of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide and recognition of Turkey’s territorial integrity), including the fourth one (corridor through Syunik Province). I want to ask the Armenian authorities which of these conditions they are ready to meet,” he said.

When told that the authorities claim that there won’t be a corridor, Saghatelyan said he doesn’t believe in the authorities since they have done the opposite of what they have said.

I watched Ilham Aliyev speak at the United Nations General Assembly, and, in essence, he accused Armenia of everything that Armenia can and must accuse Azerbaijan of with documents. This is what leader of the opposition Bright Armenia Party Edmon Marukyan wrote on his Facebook page, adding the following:

“War crimes; military aggression; involvement of mercenaries in hostilities; shelling of civilian objects, including a maternity hospital; destruction of cultural objects, including churches; use of types of weapons containing elements of chemical weapon; use of cluster munitions; use of non-discriminative weapons against peaceful civilians; tortures and murders of prisoners of war; disrespect towards the bodies of murdered servicemen and civilians; publication of war crimes and insemination of Armenophobia among the population through the opening of a “war trophy park in Baku”, etc. — It is necessary to put Ilham Aliyev in his place in front of the whole international community with balanced, literate statements and with arguments.”

The raging battle against the state emblems of the Republic of Artsakh is yet another manifestation of the xenophobic behavior of the authorities and armed forces of Azerbaijan against the Armenians. This is what Human Rights Defender of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Gegham Stepanyan wrote on his Facebook page.

“The case of wiping the state emblems of Artsakh with needles from the bus transporting minors on the Goris-Kapan road and the demands to remove the flag of Artsakh from various settlements and constructions in Artsakh serve as brilliant examples of the complete absence of tolerance of Azerbaijanis towards the Armenians living in Artsakh.

It is necessary to take into consideration the fact that the state emblems of Artsakh form an integral part of our cultural values, and so intolerance towards them serve as further evidence of the fact that Azerbaijan is systematically combating Armenian cultural values in Artsakh.

The state emblems serve as the symbols of the right of the people of Artsakh to live in their homeland, to preserve their identity and to self-determination, and any encroachment against them is itself targeted against the dignity and common system of rights of our people,” Stepanyan added.

We are in a situation where the President of Azerbaijan, or as Nikol Pashinyan put it, the polite and constructive friend, continues to disclose confidential information, and alongside this, Nikol Pashinyan continues to keep silent and isn’t sharing information about the interview that he gave to Armenian Public Television which was supposed to air on September 25-26, 2020. This is what deputy of the opposition “Armenia” faction of the National Assembly Agnesa Khamoyan told reporters today, touching upon Aliyev’s statement that he had made Nikol Pashinyan offers on October 7 and that the war could have been stopped, if the offers were accepted.

‘Yes, Aliyev disclosed another agreement that was reached between two of the three parties. It turns out that they had agreed to stop the war on October 7, but Nikol Pashinyan didn’t. On October 7, the Armenian side hadn’t lost Shushi and Hadrut, and Nikol Pashinyan assumed that the conditions were much more favorable than they were on November 9, the day we signed a capitulation act,” she said.

According to Khamoyan, not only Aliyev, but also Erdogan is speaking with threats. “Yesterday Erdogan declared that he has received positive signals from Armenia. Nikol Pashinyan needs to clarify what flirting is going on with Erdogan and Aliyev,” she added.

A little while ago, I found out that Judge Anna Danibekyan has rejected the appeal of deputy of the National Assembly of Armenia Armen Gevorgyan and has actually obstructed the participation of a member of the delegation of the National Assembly to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in the plenary session of the PACE. This is what secretary of the opposition “With Honor” faction of the National Assembly of Armenia, member of the Armenian Delegation to the PACE Hayk Mamijanyan wrote on his Facebook page, adding the following:

“In solidarity with my colleague, I declare that I also refuse to leave for Strasbourg. Taking into consideration the fact that the protection of our country’s interests on international platforms is above the low domestic political games of the authorities, I will participate in the plenary session of the PACE online.

I would like to remind that this isn’t the first case (no opposition MP has been a part of the delegations of the National Assembly of Armenia that leave for the Russian Federation for the same reason).

We will always find an option to support the national agenda and state interests abroad.”