British expert: Azerbaijan uses no violence against Karabakh Armenians

Senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Thomas de Waal has said that the Armenians peacefully left Karabakh.

“The Armenians peacefully left Karabakh. Of course, some people died along the way, but the Azerbaijani side did not use violence,” Thomas de Waal said in an interview with the Armenian service of Radio Liberty, Caliber.Az reports.

“I am sure that Russia could definitely have foreseen an operation and actions of such a scale and could have seen the military preparation that preceded all this. They had their own information and their own sources, and they did nothing to prevent this. So, I consider this as Moscow’s deliberate decision not to do anything. The Russians facilitated the Armenians’ peaceful leaving of Karabakh. Of course, there are relations between Baku and Moscow in many spheres,” de Waal said.

As for Armenia’s steps not to be dependent on Russia, efforts to diversify its foreign relations, and its defence and security policy, the expert noted that Armenia has always tried to diversify its foreign policy.

The expert noted that the same situation occurred during Armenian first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s activity in the 1990s. This was called complementary policy when there were relations with Europe, the US, and the Middle East. Russia was supposed to be just one of many partners. Military and economic dependence on Moscow intensified especially during Armenian ex-President Robert Kocharyan’s activity when all economic assets were transferred under Russian control, when the military base in Gyumri was expanded, and so on.

“This dependence still exists. Over 80 per cent of gas in Armenia is still supplied from Russia through Georgia, and 90 per cent of wheat is supplied from Russia. It is obvious that trade with Russia continues to be important, and it is made through Georgian territory. When Russia closes the Lars checkpoint, it affects the Armenian economy. There are all tools of influence, but efforts are being made to remove them. I think some people will say that this is not done skillfully. Perhaps it would be wiser to eliminate the dependence on Russia and talk less about it. However, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government seems to be talking more and doing less, which is silly from a strategic point of view, but these changes are obvious now,” he added.