Armenian publicist: All Azerbaijani claims - legitimate

The well-known Armenian journalist and publicist Mher Arshakyan analyzed the situation in the zone of temporary responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in the Karabakh Economic Region of Azerbaijan, and the situation on the Lachin road, in his article "Where should Karabakh go?" published by Aliq Media website.

Caliber.Az reprints the article.

"Let's think what Russia can do in Karabakh from our point of view. We expect more from it. But it cannot do more. Yes, it is a guarantor, but according to all international laws, it is a guarantor on the territory of Azerbaijan. Can it use force and open the Lachin corridor? No, it cannot! A peacekeeping contingent with an international mandate could do that. Russia can only negotiate with Azerbaijan.

To negotiate means to agree to some absurd, even non-existent rights of Azerbaijan, because the whims of Azerbaijan, whether we agree or not, are legitimate.

They will become illegitimate only if there is a document that recognizes and guarantees that there are Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh, their right to live is inviolable, and not a single hair of their head must fall because of Azerbaijan.

And now Russia is doing the best it can. Certainly not for Armenian or Azerbaijani good looks. It will open this road, but it knows that in a few days the road may be closed again because the problem is not only the Kashen mine (Demirli - ed.). Karabakh is a big bargaining field for Azerbaijan and Russia, where Azerbaijan sets the prices.

Tomorrow they may demand that an Azerbaijani be appointed deputy chief of the Karabakh police, and not even discuss that at least not the deputy chief, but one of the heads of the department. Then they can say that in place of the statue of Stepan Shahumyan, installed in the center of Stepanakert (Khankendi - ed.), there should be a sculpture symbolizing the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. They can insist on anything. The goal is to negotiate concessions from Russia on other issues. Perhaps the time will come when Azerbaijan will understand that while there is no peace treaty, the pre-negotiation period should be used to weaken the Armenians of Karabakh as much as possible.

What can Armenia do? Nothing. Armenia's hands are tied by defeat, international laws, and Russia, because Russia is also a friend of Azerbaijan, and whether we like it or not, it is friendlier to Azerbaijan than to Armenia.

Can we ignore Russia? Of course, we can. But at the same time, we should not forget that if Russia withdraws from Karabakh, Armenia cannot enter there. It can't even enter Karabakh now.

Convening the UN Security Council was a good idea. There, Russia expressed its point of view on the solution to the issue. It made it clear to us, the Azerbaijanis, and the whole world that today there is no question of the right of Armenians to exist in Karabakh, the Azerbaijanis just want to enter the Kashen (Demirli – ed.) mine, which they own according to all international documents. And Russia cannot keep them out. The price of non—admission is the current crisis in the Lachin corridor.

Neither Armenia, which has no leverage over the crisis, nor Russia, nor Azerbaijan, nor the world community need to understand this. Armenia, the rest of the world, Russia, and Azerbaijan will not go anywhere from their lands, they will live as they lived. Only Nagorno-Karabakh, which does not want, does not imagine how to live and cannot live under the rule of Azerbaijan, is forced to understand this," Mher Arshakyan wrote.