French historian: Provocation strategy old idea of ​​Armenian nationalists

French historian of Eurasian studies Maxime Gauin has said that the provocation strategy is an old idea of the Armenian nationalists.

Gaien made the remarks, commenting on the latest military provocations on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, Report informs.

According to him, the provocations are carried out by revanchist officers within the Armenian command with the help of their well-known patrons, who dream of a new war and want to prevent the return of Azerbaijanis to the previously occupied territories.

“I don't think [Armenian Prime Minister] Nikol Pashinyan is on their side. He did not conduct sweeps in the army, because he was very afraid of a coup d'état,” he said.

The expert said the aggravation of the situation in September is due to significant progress in the negotiations mediated by the European Union and the desire of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARFD) to change power in Yerevan.

Among the main organizers of protests against peace was the terrorist Hampig Sasunyan, convicted in California for the murder of the Turkish Consul General in Los Angeles in 1982, and now living in Armenia, the French historian said.

“He served in prison for about 40 years. Despite the risk of being lynched by Pashinyan's supporters, he would not hesitate to kill. In 1999, the Prime Minister of Armenia was assassinated for considering signing a peace deal with Azerbaijan,” he said.

Gauin noted that the well-known patrons of Armenia do not want a peace agreement to be reached through the mediation of the European Union, and strongly oppose the Zangazur corridor project in the current context (restoration of the Israel-Türkiye-Azerbaijan triangle). Although there are differences between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia regarding the nature of the Zangezur corridor, they can be resolved through negotiations.

The provocation strategy is a very old idea that Armenian nationalism has been using since 1890, Gauin said, adding the goal is to provoke foreign interference in the process. But this time, the provocateurs’ hopes that Azerbaijan would give an unbalanced response did not come true.

“The Azerbaijani army destroyed the military equipment of Armenia, destroyed hundreds of soldiers and independently demarcated the border, occupying strategic heights,” he said.