Baku-Yerevan: Solving regional problems jointly under good neighborliness
Amayak Hovhannisyan on a joint statement

INTERVIEWS  09 December 2023 - 14:02

We have witnessed a very significant event, which gives hope for achieving full peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia very shortly. As Caliber.Az already reported, on December 7, the Administration of the Azerbaijani President and the Office of the Armenian Prime Minister issued a joint statement.

The editorial office of Caliber.Az asked the president of the Association of Political Experts of Armenia, Ph.D. in Politics, Amayak Hovhannisyan, to comment on its significance, according to whom, over the past month, he has been answering questions from Azerbaijani journalists for the third time.

“I must say that this time the informational occasion for communication is very gratifying: husbands and fathers returned to their families, and joy finally shone in the eyes of many children after so many months of experiences. Of course, we must welcome every real step towards restoring trust and mutual understanding between our peoples.

“It was not at all accidental that I used the word ‘restoration’ instead of the word ‘establishment’. This is because of all sorts of spiteful critics, who claim that our peoples have always been at enmity, that we are incapable of reaching an agreement, that we are doomed to hate each other: this is a vile lie! If in 1988-1989 such wise leaders as Heydar Aliyev and Karen Demirchyan had remained at the helm of power in our republics, I do not doubt that things would not have come to bloody strife and wars that claimed the lives of many thousands of our compatriots would have been avoided.

“I am more than sure that the basis of national love and respect for these worthy sons of our peoples is not least the awareness of their great role in maintaining good neighborliness and mutual understanding between our peoples. After all, a lot depends on the leaders of countries - on their commitment to peace and mutual understanding.

“As a close ally of Karen Demirchyan in the recent period of his activity, I am convinced that the current leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia should be equal to the high bar for establishing good-neighborly and friendly interaction between our peoples, which Heydar Aliyev and Karen Demirchyan established during their leadership of our republics. If the event we are discussing is the first step in this direction, then I sincerely welcome it,” Hovhannisyan said.

In his opinion, it is especially valuable that the agreements reached between our countries were unanimously welcomed by Russia, the USA, and France, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, which has sunk into oblivion.

“In the current very difficult international situation, it is impossible to point to another such case of unanimity on any issue of world politics. This shows, on the one hand, how in-demand peace and mutual understanding between Azerbaijan and Armenia are in the eyes of the international community, and on the other hand, what potential for a positive impact on the restoration of mutual understanding and cooperation between Russia and the West in our region can be achieved by Azerbaijan and Armenia if they act together and solve all regional problems based on good neighborliness,” the Armenian analyst summed up.

Caliber.Az