Pundit's advice to West's double policy in Azerbaijani-Armenian negotiation

Head of the Center for Studies of the South Caucasus (CSSC), pundit Farhad Mammadov criticised the positions of the US and the EU in the process of mediating negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

"For now, the West is frozen in its mediation, as the processes have come to a point where it is necessary to reveal the cards. The innuendos, ambiguity, and lack of consistency - are all characteristic of the US and EU involvement in the mediation process between Baku and Yerevan.

The ‘knife in the back’ that has become a meme does not apply to our relations, as Azerbaijan has never relied on the West to determine its policy towards Armenian aggression.

My advice to my European and American colleagues:

Do not judge Azerbaijanis by Armenians, we are not Armenians!

Move away from the Armenian-centric stance, because what you have done, or rather have not done in relation to Armenia during its 26 years old occupation of Azerbaijani lands does not give you the moral right to act as a mentor or adviser in the process of Armenian-Azerbaijani normalisation.

And here is why:

- Azerbaijanis did not carry out ethnic cleansing, we do not need to expel someone to acquire our living space. This is a policy and an integral part of the worldview of Armenians, not Azerbaijanis!

In Azerbaijan in the early 90s, along with Armenian separatism, separatist sentiments among Lezgins, Avars and Talyshs were fueled from outside. However, all hotbeds of separatism were regulated in legal terms and there was no ethnic cleansing against the representatives of these ethnic groups.

On the contrary, the national idea of Azerbaijan is the idea of a political nation and civil identity. Everyone saw this in the days of the 44-day war! This cannot be said about Armenians and Armenia, where all ethnic minorities, primarily Azerbaijanis, were expelled.

- For the West - the US and the EU - it is abnormal that there is a threat of a possible exodus of Garabagh Armenians from Azerbaijan. What about the expulsion of Azerbaijanis from Armenia and the ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijanis from Garabagh?

 If the possible exodus of Armenians from Garabagh is abnormal for you and you talk about it, then speak up that the absence of Azerbaijanis in Armenia is also abnormal; it is abnormal that there were no Azerbaijanis in Garabagh for a quarter of a century. But they haven’t said anything.

- The West - the US and the EU, says that Azerbaijan should have no territorial claims to Armenia.

Should they be reminded of the meaning behind territorial integrity? It is Armenia that has territorial claims to Azerbaijan and Türkiye in its legislation, which was recognized by Pashinyan himself. The West’s beloved Pashinyan mentioned it.

The fact of occupation of the Azerbaijani territories has not stopped the US and the EU from developing cooperation with Armenia, even with its most authoritarian and pro-Russian leaders. So, was that normal? If it was abnormal, the US and EU should not have helped Armenia. And now the West is making unfounded claims against Azerbaijan, which offers Armenia a peace treaty with mutual recognition of territorial integrity and demands respect for its territorial integrity in action. What is wrong with that?

- The West says that there is Armenophobia in Azerbaijan, wondering how will Armenians live as part of Azerbaijan.

To quote Erdogan: Hey America and Hey EU! Your favourite Pashinyan said that the return of Azerbaijanis to Armenia is a threat to Armenia's national security! Isn't this an example of Azerbaijanophobia? And what about the burning of the country's flags that Pashinyan talked about?!

Notice how I keep citing the Armenian premier since he’s trusted in the West.

- Armenia is funding its proxies and armed forces in Garabagh and this is normal for the West. If it was abnormal, they would have said something about it.

Okay, then there will be Azerbaijani Armed Forces on the territory of Armenia as well. The topic of "Western Azerbaijan" will acquire qualitatively new content.

The West should stop being selective and Armenian-centric. Otherwise, the West will be answered and its position will be ignored.

If the West wants to make the whole spectrum of interaction with Azerbaijan dependent on relations with Armenia, this is also a choice. But look at Russia, it made this mistake 30 years ago and here’s what that led to..." Farhad Mammadov wrote on his Telegram.