Armenia disrupts peace with Azerbaijan Plunging the region into a new bloodbath

In the entire post-conflict period (almost two and a half years), the situation in our region has never been as heated as it is today. There were different moments beginning from the emerging rapprochement and ending with new complications, each time ending deplorably for the Armenian side. Baku has repeatedly urged Yerevan to come to its senses. However, the Armenian leadership constantly changed its mind often under the influence of not only internal forces but also foreign “advisers”. As a result, the peace treaty is not signed yet two and a half years after Armenia’s shameful surrender.

The entire second half of last year could be called the period of convergence of positions. Before the Prague summit, there was a seemingly positive trend. The two countries intended to conclude a peace agreement. Even despite French President Emmanuel Macron’s interference in the process (we should clarify whether an uninvited guest is worse than a Frenchman or better than a Frenchman), he was later removed by Baku as easily as Paris got into the process, progress slightly slowed down, but the negotiations were not ceased. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s optimistic statement about significant progress has been also made deliberately this week. Even an important meeting was prepared at the level of foreign ministers of the two countries.

However, Armenia again decided to disrupt the process and escalate the tension. The leadership of this country, as in the past, resorted to the favourite tactics of sabotage and dragging out negotiations. It is necessary to remember Yerevan’s similar behavior, albeit dating back to the period of power of one of the worst political opponents of Nikol Pashinyan - Serzh Sargsyan. A very useful meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents was held in Paris through the mediation of French President Francois Hollande in 2014. Upon returning to his homeland, Sargsyan unexpectedly held large-scale exercises in the then-occupied Aghdam with 50,000 servicemen. He even decided to test the Azerbaijani army on the front line by sending two helicopters to the line of contact. The epic entitled "commander, attack" was deplorable not only for the crew of one of them but for all diplomats! What success could be expected after such a provocation with the exercises? This is one of the few examples of Yerevan’s disrupting the progress in the negotiations.

Today the situation is similar. Azerbaijan is holding talks on a peace treaty with Armenia, and significant progress has been made since the beginning of the talks.

Moreover, Baku simultaneously initiated direct contact with the Karabakh Armenians, offering them to forget about the recent past and start looking to the future.

However, the Armenian leadership again decided to frustrate diplomatic efforts and prevent the signing of the peace treaty.

Extremely provocative and sometimes offensive statements, the authors of which are the Armenian officials, namely, Ararat Mirzoyan, Armen Grigoryan, and sometimes Nikol Pashinyan, have been recently made very often. Yerevan not only interferes in Azerbaijan’s internal affairs but also by its actions, Armenia makes it clear that it is not going to recognise the belonging of Karabakh to Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani servicemen notice that weapons are still supplied to Karabakh. Servicemen are sent to Karabakh via the bypass roads, which are under the visual supervision of the Azerbaijani military.

What an insolent action! Finally, an Azerbaijani border guard was wounded on the state border in the direction of the Zangilan district on March 20. This is an outright provocation.

It is clear that Armenia has decided to thwart the last opportunity for peace. The situation has reached a very dangerous point. This is not a warning, but a statement of difficult realities.

The international community is obliged to call the Armenian leadership to order, and it must do this immediately as time has run out. All responsibility for the impending catastrophe, which now seems inevitable, will fall entirely on Yerevan.