At the time the conflict began, specifically in 1988, both Azerbaijanis and Armenians lived in the territory of Karabakh. However, the issue now is that two entirely different concepts are clashing. There is an Armenian approach, once voiced by Robert Kocharian in PACE, claiming that there’s a genetic incompatibility between Azerbaijanis and Armenians, and that these two nations can’t live together.
We protested against such an approach back then, by the way, it’s a racist approach, not based on the norms of international law, humanism. Essentially, it’s about racial segregation, or ethnic cleansing, or ethnic demarcation. When Robert Kocharian claimed this, Armenia hoped that the genetic incompatibility justifies that Karabakh should be Armenian, and should not be returned to Azerbaijan. Not only Kocharian, but all other political leaders of Armenia, as well as the separatists in Karabakh, advocated this idea.
Not incidentally, a few months ago, one of the separatists suddenly began talking about a “biblical exodus”, about the fact that if Karabakh fully comes under Azerbaijani control, then Armenians will have to leave there, wander, and find a new homeland. And again, the separatists started the tune that all “120 thousand Armenians will leave the territory of Karabakh”. This is the Armenian approach, that Armenians should live only in Armenia, and Azerbaijanis – in Azerbaijan. There can’t be a mixed population in either place.
But there’s the Azerbaijani approach: we have always said that both Azerbaijanis and Armenians should live together in Karabakh, and the Azerbaijanis deported from Armenia should return. Our approach has always been based on the principles of humanism, on international law, unlike the Armenian one, which is based on racism.
And what we see today in Karabakh, namely, the mass exodus, is the result of the policy that Armenia propagated and instilled in the heads of Armenians. The Armenian scenario of genetic incompatibility is being realized, according to which, if Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan, then all Armenians should leave this territory and move to Armenia. Azerbaijan gave no reason for this, we offered people security guarantees, and observance of their rights, offered them a reintegration program. But so far, Armenians are captive to their own ideology about the so-called “genetic incompatibility with Azerbaijanis”, and therefore voluntarily leave the territory of our country.
But this doesn’t mean that we should agree with the Armenian approach associated with “ethnic demarcation”, we should not allow the victory of the Armenian point of view, not at all! We must keep the doors open, and if any of the Armenians want to return or stay in Azerbaijan, we should offer them a reintegration program, and before Armenia, we should continue to raise the issue of returning Western Azerbaijanis to their native territories, stand firm on this, strive for it. And I am confident that the Western Azerbaijanis will eventually return to their native hearth – to Zangezur, Goycha Mahali, and other areas where they have compactly lived for centuries.
Armenian media and telegram channels update and publish statistical data on the Armenian exodus from the Karabakh territory several times a day. And to be honest, these figures are mind-boggling. According to the statistics in Armenian media, over 80,000 Armenians have moved to Armenia over these few days. How can this be?
They always talked about 120,000 Armenians supposedly living in the territory of Karabakh. However, we know for sure that such a number of Armenians never lived there. The fact is that under the sacred figure of “120,000”, they received humanitarian aid. This was a corruption mechanism designed to increase the number of people allegedly “receiving” financial assistance from international organizations and funds.
Now, when the exodus has begun, I noticed the figures that the Armenians are publishing in their sources. A clear padding and dirty manipulation are already distinctly visible. Let’s reason: in the first days of the exodus, if you look at the published figures, it turns out that several hundred Armenians cross the border and leave Azerbaijan every hour. Such a picture continued until about September 26. Then the statistical summaries of the exodus were temporarily stopped for about half a day, and then official Armenian sources began to publish summaries according to which the throughput of the Armenian BCP (Border Control Point) increased almost three to four times. But this is impossible neither physically nor technically, as the number of road lanes or checkpoints at the BCP did not increase. They didn’t widen the roads or the corridors. Everything remained the same as before: one post, the same “traffic jam” near it… And why suddenly such a leap? How is it possible for 1500 people to pass in an hour?
The answer is obvious: a clear padding and manipulation, Armenians are trying to adjust the total figure of those allegedly crossing the border to the announced fake data. Otherwise, a big international scandal may erupt, and serious questions will arise, namely: why have you been receiving financial aid for the “dead souls” for many years? I await the publication of competent data, but not from the Armenian, but from our border service, and I also want the Armenian side to answer a simple question: how can you increase the throughput capacity of a post by 3-4 times if you do not expand it? After all, if you translate the action into a mathematical order, it turns out that one person passes through the BCP every 2-3 seconds. But there are no such records in world practice, this is simply physically impossible.
The data from our border guards is simply necessary – it’s a real ace up the sleeve. When will they be made public?
I believe that our border service will publish this data sooner or later, we just need patience. Armenians have such a tradition – spreading false information around the world regarding the 44-day war, the casualties on both sides, and the counter-terrorism operation conducted by Azerbaijan. Armenians always disseminate misinformation in a desire to cause a stir, and then our side provides official, real figures, and everyone understands how blatantly the Armenian side lied. Therefore, in the case of the exodus, our border service will summarize and then publish its figures.
The military confrontation between Azerbaijan and Armenia has concluded, and now the “battle of diplomacy” begins, which, according to forecasts, will last for many years, since we know our neighbors well. Over these years, we have managed to understand their overt deceit and dishonest tactics. What goal is Baku setting now? And will we be able to withstand the strong pressure from the US?
The pressure from the US and France is related to the activity of the Armenian lobby, which has significant influence in these countries. It’s no coincidence that we saw a statement from ANCA (Armenian National Committee of America) a while ago, accusing Joe Biden of complicity in the “genocide” of Armenians in Karabakh, exerting the same pressure on congressmen. And it is clear that now, under the pressure of the Armenian lobby, officials in the US and France are making statements unacceptable to Azerbaijan. Generally, I want to say that the negative role of the Armenian diaspora in all these processes is obvious. Anyone well acquainted with the political system of the US knows that the strong Israeli lobby in the US always calls for Israel to achieve peace with neighbors, adheres to a peaceful position, often criticizes the state of Israel when people with radical sentiments come to power. For instance, when Netanyahu returns to power, he receives more criticism from the US. But with the Armenian lobby, we see the exact opposite picture. The Armenian lobby in the US always acts from the position of the most radical views. Sitting on comfortable sofas, in wonderful conditions, they demand from across the ocean that Armenia fights with Azerbaijan and Turkey “to the last Armenian.” Of course, corruption is also involved here, as this organization collects large sums of money from Armenian businessmen living in the West. Such is their destructive role in pushing Armenia to conflict with its neighbors – it is obvious.
It has come to the point where a real political war has unfolded between the government of N. Pashinyan and the Armenian diaspora. For example, the Armenian diaspora in France disrupted several state events involving official representatives from Yerevan. In response to this, official Yerevan added many Dashnak leaders living in France to the “blacklist” who are banned from entering Armenia. The same is now happening in the US. The main Armenian lobbyists have proven to be prone to corruption, now the trial of Senator Robert Menendez, who virtually headed the Armenian lobby in the US, has begun. Now it turns out that he and his wife, who is Armenian by nationality, are involved in very serious corruption schemes, bribes, and this evidence is so obvious and serious that the prosecutor has sent the case to court, and about 20 members of Congress from the Democratic party have called on Menendez to resign and leave the ranks of the Democratic party.
Azerbaijan has faced such evil, and of course, it affects the fact that many politicians in the West, especially in France and the US, make statements unacceptable to Azerbaijan. But I am confident that we will withstand this pressure honorably, because Azerbaijan conducted a counter-terrorism operation on its territory, we did not violate borders. The weapons that the separatists surrendered during this operation are now seen by the whole world: embassies and military attachés are invited to the liberated territories, and everyone sees what Azerbaijan faced, and what measures it had to take to ensure that illegal armed formations, possessing tanks, APCs, air defense systems, did not challenge the lawful government and constitutional order of Azerbaijan. I would even suggest opening a branch of the Baku Victory Park in Khankendi, to collect all the examples of military equipment and weapons that were seized from disarmed illegal military formations, so that every foreigner coming to Khankendi could see firsthand that we fought not with civilians, but with a real army of separatists. And no country could tolerate the presence of such illegal armed groups on its territory. Because on our side, there’s not only strength, but also truth, and law, including international law. I am sure that we will withstand any pressure. It cannot be otherwise.
Translated from Minval.az
