By: Fuad Huseynzade
Today, Armenia is trying to continue the historical Karabakh conflict as an “ethnic conflict”. Armenia’s ethnic cleansing and genocide against Azerbaijanis is not a distant past. These war crimes are confirmed by solid historical facts. In addition, we have thousands of compatriots as witnesses who were subjected to ethnic cleansing in Western Azerbaijan and Karabakh. President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly brought up the agenda of Armenia’s policy of ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijan in international tribunes: “Armenia has implemented a policy of ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijan. He committed unprecedented acts of vandalism on the lands of Azerbaijan”. That is, no matter how hard Armenia tries, it cannot erase this historical stain on it.
In fact, with this, official Yerevan is trying to change the course of the normalization process. The Armenian government has repeatedly tried to change the format of the negotiations. These steps were taken even before the 44-day Patriotic War. After the defeat in the war, Armenia signed the Tripartite Declaration and assumed obligations. Now the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, who lacks the political will to fulfill these payments, has recently been making adventurous speeches against Azerbaijan. Finally, on April 29, in a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Nikol Pashinyan tried to describe the steps taken by the Azerbaijani side in the Lachin corridor as “ethnic cleansing”. Let’s also say that Pashinyan made such fabricated claims in a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and European Union Council President Charles Michel some time ago.
In general, the Armenian lobby of the world is currently making reckless claims against Azerbaijan in this direction. In particular, the American Armenian National Committee (ANCA) deceives the international world and presents the protest action of eco-activists on the Lachin-Khankendi road as a “blockade” of Armenians. In this regard, the Armenian lobby is mainly supported by the US and UK parliamentarians. Even in this regard, several times the deputies of these countries have issued fabricated statements.
Recently, separatist and provocative steps have been taken by Armenians. Of course, the reason for this is known. Since December of last year, holding a protest at the end of the Lachin-Khankendi road, and on April 23, the establishment of a border control checkpoint by Azerbaijan at the beginning of the same road, created such aggression in Armenians. With this, Azerbaijan will have prevented illegal transportation and entry-exit, as well as separatism in Karabakh. Azerbaijan once again proved how it owns Karabakh and has a say here.
What is required from Armenia is dialogue and peace. That is, this issue has been discussed with the Armenian leadership many times. Azerbaijan proposed five principles for signing a peace treaty with Armenia in accordance with the norms and principles of international law. Although Armenia expressed its full agreement with the proposals, later it violates the agreements by doing what its patrons say. Pashinyan still does not understand that the solution to this issue is possible only after an agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. It is impossible to find a solution for this in another forum. Only the negotiations conducted in this direction will make it possible to conclude a peace agreement.
The Writer is Chairman of the Support of Journalists to Diaspora Activity Public Union.