Armenian provocations destruct regional architecture built on Trilateral Statement Is Yerevan begging for "Revenge-3"?

May 30, 2023. Bratislava. "GLOBSEC 2023" Forum. Panel discussion with the participation of Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmat Hajiyev and Secretary of the Armenian Security Council Armen Grigoryan.

“Allegations about the presence of units of the Armenian Armed Forces in Karabakh do not correspond to reality. There are no Armenian troops in Nagorno-Karabakh. There is only the Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army there,” Grigoryan publicly stated.

June 27, 2023. Galaichilar village, Aghdam district of Azerbaijan. Armenian formations fired on the positions of the Azerbaijani army from small arms, as a result, serviceman Ali Bakirov was wounded.

During the response operation of the Azerbaijani army "Revenge-2", 5 Armenian terrorists were destroyed. Soon, official Yerevan was forced to admit that two of the five killed turned out to be servicemen of the Armenian Armed Forces, and through its channels turned to Baku with a request to hand over their bodies.

Of course, guided by the principles of humanism, the Azerbaijani side handed over the corpses of two liquidated servicemen of the Armenian Armed Forces, who, according to Armenian media reports, will be buried at Yerablur in Yerevan in accordance with the wishes of their parents.

But here an interesting picture emerges. If in Yerevan they tried to assure the world community of their peacefulness and the absence of the military personnel of the Armenian Armed Forces in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region at all levels, then where did the soldiers of the Armenian Defence Ministry find themselves among those liquidated by the Azerbaijani army?

It is quite obvious that this circumstance once again confirms the physical presence of the Armenian Armed Forces on the territory of Azerbaijan, that is, there is a continuation of the occupation in other ways.

But what about the previous statements of Pashinyan, Grigoryan and other representatives of the Armenian authorities? Dust in the eyes and blatant lies... It is quite obvious that Armenia is obliged to put an end to its hypocritical policy, when at the negotiating table its representatives declare the recognition of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and Prime Minister Pashinyan confirms that Karabakh is the territory of Azerbaijan, and on the other hand, continues to keep its troops on Azerbaijani territory.

According to data available to Caliber.Az, there are up to 10,000 armed persons in the territory of Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, in the zone of temporary responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, some of them are military personnel of the Armenian Defence Ministry, and this group is controlled by a single centre - the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces.

It is clear that the remnants of the separatist regime are unable to maintain such a horde, which needs not only to be fed but also to provide at least some kind of combat readiness. Accordingly, these responsibilities lay entirely on the state budget of Armenia. This continued until December 2022, when the action of the Azerbaijani public on the Lachin-Khankandi section of the road put up the first barrier to the illegal transport of ammunition and weapons from Armenia to Karabakh and the replenishment of the personnel of gangs.

But back then the Armenians still had a loophole in the form of bypass roads and paths, which were also soon taken under the control of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. And, finally, a resolute STOP to the endeavours was put in April by the “Lachin” border checkpoint. That’s it, the mousetrap slammed shut.

At the same time, all the illegal activities of Armenia in Karabakh are taking place in front of Russian peacekeepers. Here, for the umpteenth time, one of the central points of the Trilateral Statement is recalled - the withdrawal of all Armenian armed formations in parallel with the deployment of the Russian peacekeeping contingent.

However, this has not yet happened, which is a gross violation of the Tripartite Statement by Armenia and Russia. Without a doubt, Moscow and Yerevan are responsible for the fact that the Trilateral Statement was reduced to an illegitimate level, and it is they who are to blame for the complete destruction of the regional architecture built on the basis of this document.

But under it are the signatures of Putin and Pashinyan, who ruined this document with their practical actions and policies. For this reason, any claims that are made against the Azerbaijani side in the context of the Tripartite Statement are absolutely groundless. Now there are new realities that everyone must accept. And today, it is groundless to talk about any demands on Azerbaijan within the framework of the Trilateral Statement, since Russia and Armenia themselves have done everything to destroy it.

For example, one of the requirements of the Trilateral Statement was the opening of the Zangazur corridor, but it was not fulfilled by Armenia. One must agree, it is absurd to blame Azerbaijan against this background, when the second signatory state, with the tacit consent of Russia, throws a document with its obligations into the trash can.

Without a doubt, the Armenian illegal armed formations in Karabakh should be disbanded, the units of the Armenian Armed Forces should be withdrawn, and the local Armenian population should be integrated into the Azerbaijani state and society. But...Unfortunately, according to the information received recently by the Azerbaijani side, the illegal armed formations of Armenia are planning a series of provocations against the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, and preparations are being made for them with the tacit consent and approval of the Russian peacekeepers.

In the event of a new provocation, Operation Revenge-3 will become inevitable. It is time for everyone to understand that under no circumstances will Azerbaijan accept the presence of illegal armed groups on its territory. There is another important point. The process of return of Azerbaijanis - internally displaced persons to the de-occupied territories is already underway, and this process will only accelerate.

In such conditions, Azerbaijan is obliged to ensure the safety of returning civilians, which is incompatible with the presence of illegal armed forces in the Karabakh region. In this context, it is necessary to recall the words of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, which he said on June 23 during his visit to one of the military units of the commando of the Defence Ministry.

“We are returning former settlers to the lands of their ancestors. We have advantageous positions along the border with Armenia. We are fixing ourselves in these positions. Being at strategic heights provides us with a strategic advantage. I say again that over the past two and a half years we have significantly strengthened our army.

If Armenia and the foreign relatives behind it do not understand all these factors, then let them blame themselves. Any provocation against us does not go unanswered, every provocation is followed by a worthy response, be it military or political,” Aliyev said.

And he, as everyone in the world has already been able to make sure, does not throw words into the wind...