Saturday, September 23 2023 19:14

ArmInfo.International leaders are applying double standards and accepting a dictatorial  regime and disregarding the fate of 30,000 children, former state minister of Artsakh Ruben Vardnanyan said in an interview with France 24 as he commented on the situation in Stepanakert in the wake of  Azerbaijan's aggression. 

The situation in very grave in Artsakh: women, children and the  entire population are in danger.  Electricity supply had been cut off  for four days [by September 23], tens of thousands of people remained  in the streets and at the airport as they had been forced to leave  their homes. Children do not get food, no heating or fuel. People are  depressed. After 30-year-long independent life in their country,  people see it destroyed and are concerned over their future, Mr  Vardanyan said.   

He refuted Azerbaijan's claims that it has supplied food and fuel to  Artsakh. 

Artsakh has been blockaded for ten months and a couple of trucks are  of no help. Up to 400 trucks had entered Artsakh daily before the  blockade. Many people are injured and missing, and a couple of trucks  cannot held 120,000 people, including 30,000 children. 

Mr Vardanyan said he feels abandoned by both Yerevan and the world.  Speaking frankly, he said that all international leaders are applying  double standards by accepting a non-democratic state and dictatorial  regime ruled by one clan for 44 years, with human rights violations.  And now that state is expected to ensure the rights and security of a  different ethnic group it has been warring against for 30 years,  killing many.  

Mr Vardanyan's question is: who is going to ensure the rights of  people that have never been part of Azerbaijan and do not speak  Azerbaijani, how is this process going to develop? Mr Vardanyan  recalled that several years ago Azerbaijan heroized a person who  murdered a sleeping Armenian officer with an axe.  People are unaware  and the impression is that some are playing a filthy game at the  expense of 120,000 human lives. And the Armenian government and other  major international actors are saying, 'Do not worry.  It is all  right. You can live on,' Mr Vardanyan said with indignation. 

As to whether the Russian peacekeepers really remained inactive when  Azerbaijan attacked, Mr Vardanyan said that the peacekeepers tried to  render humanitarian assistance, but never stop the hostilities. Some  peacekeepers were killed by the Azerbaijani army. It is clear that  the 2,000 Russian peacekeepers were unable to stop the 60,000-strong  Azerbaijani army that attacked Artsakh. 

As to whether Azerbaijan is in control of the whole of  Nagorno-Karabakh now, Mr Vardanyan gave an affirmative answer. On the  other hand, the Azerbaijani army suffered serious losses. It was  heavy fighting, Mr Vardanyan said, adding that he greatly respects  those who sanctified their lives for Artsakh. 

According to media reports, 60,000 Azerbaijani troops fought against  2,500-strong Artsakh defense army.  Many were killed, but the  opposite side had greater losses, Mr Vardanyan said. he wants the  world to know that was a heroic battle, and the Artsakh army fought  for its Homeland and people. 

As to who will now ensure the security of the people of Artsakh after  the Artsakh defense army has been dissolved and the peacekeepers are  making insufficient efforts, Mr Vardanyan noted that people are  really concerned about their safety, because everyone sees how  Azerbaijan repeatedly breaks its own promises, violates human rights,  all decisions of the International Criminal Court and of the UN  Security Council.  According to him, the people of Artsakh have no  confidence that any promise will be fulfilled. And without political  guarantees from international or Russian peacekeepers, especially in  terms of creating a security environment, which is now a big  question, this is unlikely. Because everyone has seen how quickly  everything can change, people really want to leave and do not to stay  in Nagorno-Karabakh, he said. 

As to his expectations about the international community now that  Armenia's premier is under pressure to resign, Mr Vardanyan agreed  that Nikol Pashinyan made the wrong decision, made the wrong  statement and behaved in the wrong way in order not to have sanctions  imposed on the Azerbaijani leader. 

As to why the international community does not say Azerbaijan's  actions are unacceptable, but allows Azerbaijan to show further  aggression and maintain blockade, Mr Vardanyan said that they are all  major actors aware of the real political game. It is very cynical to  show such a scornful attitude to 30,000 children and thousands of  pregnant women. And now they are saying, "That is awful! How can we  live now now?" People will never forgive that, Mr Vardanyan said.