Comprehensive development of Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan possible  only through regional peace and stability - Ashot Smbatyan

ArmInfo. Faced with an existential threat, the civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh had  no other choice that to leave their native land, where they had lived for many centuries, Armenia's Ambassador to Georgia Ashot Smbatyan stated in an interview with the Georgian agency IPN.

The diplomat recalled that on September 19-20, Azerbaijan carried out  a large-scale military attack on the people of Nagorno-Karabakh,  during which the civilian population and infrastructure were also  damaged.  He added that hundreds of people, including civilians,  women and children, became victims of that two-day aggression in  Nagorno-Karabakh. More than 10 thousand people were deprived of  shelter and any means of subsistence.

"Russian peacekeepers stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh were actually  unable to stop this aggression against civilians. Moreover, Russian  peacekeepers also became victims of Azerbaijani aggression.

And this aggression came after a 10-month blockade of  Nagorno-Karabakh through the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor,  which led to shortages of food, medicine, fuel and other essential  goods, depleting all the necessary resources for the survival of the  population. Faced with an existential threat, the civilian population  of Nagorno-Karabakh had no choice but to leave their native land,  where they had lived for decades. Within 3-4 days after the  aggression, more than 100 thousand people, almost the entire  population of Nagorno-Karabakh, were forcibly deported, finding  refuge in Armenia," the diplomat said. 

Referring to Baku's assurances that they are not involved in the  de-Armenization of Artsakh, Smbatyan recalled the old and wise saying  to judge people's intentions not by their words, but by their  actions.

The Ambassador emphasized that Azerbaijan's policies and actions over  the past year clearly demonstrate the pre-planned and organized  nature of this mass crime.

"Ignoring all international norms, Azerbaijan committed ethnic  cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh, bringing its population to the brink  of starvation, and then forcing them to leave their homeland through  large-scale military aggression.

As for the desire of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to return, I  am sure that this desire is very great, because this is their native  land, where these people and their ancestors lived and worked for  centuries.  However, today, after we have witnessed the criminal  behavior of Azerbaijan, the return of these people to  Nagorno-Karabakh on the terms put forward by the latter would mean  living under the constant threat of state-sponsored Armenophobia and  genocide," Smbatyan said.

At the same time, the diplomat recalled that Armenia has repeatedly  stated its readiness to conclude a peace treaty with Azerbaijan based  on the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty,  international law, and actively participated in the relevant  negotiation process in various formats.

"Unfortunately, Azerbaijan's actions once again prove that it rejects  the efforts of mediators to achieve real peace through negotiations,"  the Armenian ambassador said.

As evidence of his words, he cited the constant provocations and  aggression of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces on the borders of Armenia,  as well as the presentation of claims to the sovereign territory of  the Republic of Armenia by the Azerbaijani leadership.

"To this day, Azerbaijan refuses to release many Armenian prisoners  of war held in Azerbaijan.

The actual war of 2020 and subsequent aggression, the almost  year-long blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh and the ethnic cleansing  carried out, the lack of substantive actions on the part of the main  international players and relevant international structures have  caused a feeling of impunity in Azerbaijan, and it continues to be  guided by the logic of solving problems by force. This style of  action by Azerbaijan can be seen in the latter's contacts with  international players, a striking example of which is Azerbaijan's  refusal to participate in EU-mediated negotiations in Granada at the  last moment," the ambassador noted.

Regarding the mediation efforts of Brussels, Smbatyan acknowledged  the role of the EU in the process of normalizing relations. At the  same time, the ambassador pointed out some incomprehensible  constraint of the European Union in relations with Azerbaijan.

The Armenian Ambassador noted that some EU member states express the  opinion that Azerbaijan is an important partner of the EU in terms of  energy resources, pointing out their dependence on Baku.

"Nevertheless, the issue should be considered exclusively from a  political-values perspective. It is important that even in these  difficult geopolitical conditions the EU remains true to its  proclaimed values and continues to be a pioneer in their  dissemination. Because only real democratic processes can become the  basis for establishing peace and sustainable development in the South  Caucasus," the diplomat assured.  Regarding regional processes and  security challenges, Smbatyan expressed the conviction that the  region is so small that the full development of Armenia, Georgia and  Azerbaijan is possible only through the establishment of peace and  stability in the region and balanced development.

"It was after realizing this, despite numerous difficulties, that  Armenia became involved in the process of normalizing relations with  Turkey with sincere motives and a constructive intention to solve  problems. We see that Turkey's positions on many issues coincide with  the maximalist views of Azerbaijan, but we are convinced that  regional peace requires collective responsibility. Armenia is ready  to take on its share of this shared responsibility and hopes that  others will show the same readiness. Moreover, we are confident that  the settlement of relations between Armenia and Turkey as quickly as  possible will make a significant contribution to the establishment of  real peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan," the ambassador said.