"All further dialogue should be in line with Azerbaijani legislation" Pundits talk to Caliber.Az

The remnants of the separatist junta in Garabagh, it seems, having sobered up a little and decided to slightly change tactics: a Russian truck with cargo for the residents of Khankendi drove along the Aghdam road. However, the Armenians of Garabagh still refuse food aid from Baku. Well, that means there is no trace of “hunger” or “humanitarian crisis.”

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry welcomed the passage of Russian cargo delivered through Aghdam, but this does not mean that the slightly changed policy of the separatist junta in Garabagh, which also recently managed to elect a new head, will suit Baku and it will continue its illegal existence. How long will Azerbaijan tolerate separatist excesses?

Azerbaijani MP, political scientist Rasim Musabeyov and Russian political scientist Renat Savin answer this question asked by Caliber.Az.

According to Musabeyov, as for the newly-minted “president” of the separatist entity in Garabagh, everything is more or less clear with him.

“Azerbaijan, as is known, has not previously recognised any separatist entity on the territory of Garabagh. But the former leader of the junta, Arayik Harutyunyan, is also a criminal - he boasted that the attacks on Ganja were carried out on his orders. And it’s right that he was afraid of falling into the hands of Azerbaijani justice, but let him not hope - sooner or later it will definitely get to him.

Harutyunyan’s successor seems to have no such sins. Of course, no one in Azerbaijan recognises him as some kind of ‘head’, much less a ‘president’, but as a representative of the Armenian community of Garabagh or the Armenian-speaking population of the region, if he is smart enough to come for dialogue [I emphasise - dialogue, not negotiations with any preconditions from the Armenians] in Aghdam, Barda, Yevlakh, Baku, then I think they will talk to him. Moreover, considering that he, as the secretary of their so-called ‘Security Council,’ has already participated in such a dialogue,” the political scientist believes.

So "everything depends on how sensible his behaviour will be," Musabeyov added.

As for Baku's attitude to the situation with Lachin and Aghdam roads, Musabeyov believes that if Armenians let a Russian lorry through the Aghdam-Khankendi route, Azerbaijan too can "let one Red Cross lorry through the Lachin road as a reciprocal gesture".

“But as for the Armenian trucks with cargo at the Lachin border checkpoint, let them contact us and present a list of what they want to transport. Everything must be within the framework of Azerbaijani legislation - all details are clearly indicated and spelt out. For example, ‘Khankendi, Republic of Azerbaijan’. And if it says ‘Stepanakert, Artsakh’, then stop - the road is closed,” Musabeyov said.

Savin said the Armenian separatists in Garabagh are digging a hole for themselves by their attitude towards the Azerbaijani authorities. And the passage of a Russian truck with food does not solve anything.   

“I think that the Azerbaijani authorities, first of all, would like to see adequate representatives of the Armenians of Garabagh, willing to communicate and understand their situation, as the Armenian side for dialogue. Ready to cooperate within the legal framework of Azerbaijani legislation, and not put forward any extravagant claims. But so far this has not been observed. The admission of Russian trucks with food into Garabagh does not resolve the issues, because Azerbaijani trucks still cannot pass through Khankendi. And if the Armenian separatists in Garabagh do not want to accept them, then in this way they admit that they do not want to engage in a civilised dialogue. Even for your own good.

The same applies to the avoidance of dialogue, which seemed to be planned with representatives of the Armenian community there but was also boycotted by the Armenians themselves. I believe that if such donkey stubbornness of local Armenians, apparently completely devoid of self-defence and sound logic, continues, then Azerbaijan has every right to take the situation in the whole of Garabagh into its own hands, using the most effective methods, perhaps even painful for local militants.

The separatists entrenched in Garabagh are clearly asleep and do not even realise that no one will be too soft on them now. Both the head of the Russian state and the Iranian Foreign Ministry have recently confirmed that Garabagh is Azerbaijani territory. They clearly made Pashinyan understand, who addressed them, that it is definitely not worth having illusions in this sense - no one is going to fight with Baku for them.

So, it is time to wake up and start negotiating with the Azerbaijani side before it is too late. And we should start with the passage of food cargo to Khankendi," the Russian expert said.