Friday, May 27 2016 07:57

Any citizen has the right to return to the Motherland, Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Eduard Sharmazanov told reporters, when commenting on the return of ex-defense minister of Artsakh Samvel Babayan to Armenia and his latest interview.      

Sharmazanov does not share the opinion that Babayan's interview hinted at his possible return to the mainstream politics. "Even if it is so, it is his personal business. Everyone has the right to conduct any activities within the limits of the law," he said.   

When speaking of Babayan's remark that before the April war the Armenian authorities paid no proper attention to security and that after the presidents' meeting in Kazan in 2011 they stopped modernizing the Armenian Armed Forces, Sharmazanov stressed: "Regardless of what Babayan said, the Armenian Armed Forces carried out their task during the April war and Baku's plans to gain a domineering position in the negotiations failed. After the April developments, the Armenian side's diplomatic position has strengthened.

This is proved by the Vienna summit results, which completely coincide with the stand of the Armenian side". In particular, the matter concerns the importance of respecting the 1994 ceasefire agreement (which was signed by Artsakh as well), the commitment to the ceasefire and the peaceful settlement of the conflict, the arrangement to finalize in the shortest possible time an OSCE investigative mechanism, and to expand the existing Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson in Office. "In addition, almost all statements of the top leadership of Armenia have repeatedly stressed that the security of Armenia and Artsakh are a priority for Yerevan", Sharmazanov added.   
In his May 26 interview, Samvel Babayan said that before the April war the authorities of Armenia did not focus their attention on security, but after the meeting in Kazan they almost stopped modernizing the Armenian armed forces, while Azerbaijan, on the contrary, started actively increasing its military potential. Babayan also stressed that he is not going to join any political party, but he intends to return to Artsakh where he sees his "key mission, and let the people decide the rest".    

Samvel Babayan is a military, statesman and political figure, Lt.  General, Artsakh National Hero.  Since 1992 he had been coordinating the defense operations of NKR regions, participated in the development of Shushi liberation operation, participated in the international talks for settlement of the Karabakh conflict, was commander of the NKR Defense Army. He signed the ceasefire treaty of Armenia and NKR with Azerbaijan on behalf of the NKR. He was a member of the government and security council at the NKR President.

In 2001, he was accused of organizing assassination attempt on NKR president Arkady Ghoukassyan that resulted in serious wounds of the Karabakh president, one of his bodyguards and the driver. He was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment but was pardoned by President Arkady Ghoukassyan on September 17 2010 on occasion of the 13th anniversary of the referendum of independence of NKR.  He founded the Justice opposition bloc in Armenia. Later, due to serious financial problems, Babayan had to leave Armenia. He had been in Russia for a long time and a couple of days ago he returned to Armenia.