Interview of the Ambassador Ashot Hovakimian to N1 TV station

02 October, 2020

Ambassador of Armenia: Conflicts are part of the Turkish-Azerbaijani plan to destroy Artsakh

Armenian Ambassador Ashot Hovakimian says that there was a "heavy bombing" of the cities in Nagorno-Karabakh today, estimating that the destruction of one nation has begun. He says the clashes are part of a Turkish-Azerbaijani plan to destroy Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). He emphasizes that Armenia is in favour of sitting at the negotiating table. Asked about the export of weapons from Serbia to Armenia, the ambassador said that they do not speak publicly about military-technical cooperation and that everything will be included in the report at the end of the year.

The historic decisions of the great powers have made Nagorno-Karabakh one of Kosovo's difficult-to-resolve territorial disputes. Internationally and legally Azerbaijani, historically and population-wise Armenian, Nagorno-Karabakh, that is, the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh, has survived for 25 years in a fragile truce between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Six days ago, shots were fired again in the South Caucasus from very serious weapons, including those produced in Serbia.

Armenia's non-resident ambassador to Serbia, Ashot Hovakimian, who is in Prague, states that the conflict was started by Azerbaijanis, which, as he says, they themselves confirmed. "They are achieving what they wanted for a long time with the help of some big countries in the region, with the help of Turkey. So that is the Turkish-Azerbaijani plan to destroy Artsakh," the ambassador said as a guest on N1 Studio Live.

He said that immediately before the show, he received information about the heavy bombing of cities in Artsakh, the capital Stepanakert and the city of Hadrut. There is great destruction in the civilian population, so that is the beginning of the destruction of the people, the ambassador stated.

Asked what Armenia's goal is in this conflict, Hovakimian said that it is to live on their land, to develop and to ensure the security of the Armenian population in the territory "that belonged to them". We want our children to grow up in that territory, not genocide, he added.

He says that Artsakh "is not an occupation by Armenia", recalling that Nagorno-Karabakh declared a republic at the same time as Azerbaijan left the USSR.

"This is not a conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan," he said.

"Armenia urges to sit at negotiating table"

The two sides, he says, must sit down at the negotiating table, "because there is one international format, accepted in the international community" - back in 2009, the OSCE Minsk Group in Athens agreed on how to resolve the conflict on the basis of three principles. international law - non-use of force, territorial integrity of states, but also human rights - and the right of peoples to self-determination. Within that framework, that issue must be resolved, and not some ultimatums should be put, but two or three parties should sit at the negotiating table and agree on the future, the ambassador stated.

Negotiations were never called off, and in 1994 a ceasefire was established between Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan, which is now being disrupted by Azerbaijan, he added. Armenia has never refused negotiations, and we still invite it to sit at the negotiating table, but Mr. (President of Azerbaijan Ilham) Aliyev refused the participation of the OSCE, states the guest of N1.

That is why Azerbaijan should stop the aggression, expel the third party and terrorists on the territory of Azerbaijan who want to fight against Nagorno-Karabakh, he stated, adding that the Armenians are now fighting against international terrorism.

The only wish is to curb Turkey, which entered as a party to the conflict, emphasizes the guest of H1. "Evidence is available not only from Armenia, but also from the international community. An invitation was opened to Turkey at the EU summit today, and sanctions are being prepared against Turkey to get out of the conflict. That they brought terrorists there is not hidden information, but they admitted it. "All the big countries. The other thing is that Turkey is also leading the air offensive of Azerbaijan. There are Turkish F-16 planes there," the ambassador said.

A mass bombing is in progress, yesterday four drones were discovered inside Armenia itself - that is the involvement of Armenia itself in that conflict, underlines the guest of the show N1 Studio Live.

It seems that, after 100 years of genocide against Armenians, Turkey is retreating and wants to resolve the issue with the Armenian people on the territory of the South Caucasus, in the cradle of the Armenian people, that seems to be their plans, he added. "What they do leads to it."

We will defend our country until the end of the aggression, but I repeat that we are in favour of a peaceful, compromise solution - which would suit the peoples of Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan, the ambassador points out.

He believes that Armenia, when looking at the map, "shares a Turkish plan" and that the whole situation should be looked at "in depth".

About weapons and attitude towards Kosovo

A big topic for Serbia is that in this conflict, people are being killed with weapons produced in our country, and since 2017, out of 19 export permits, as many as 15 have been obtained by one private company.

The ambassador says that Armenia does not have any limits for the export of weapons to that country, to give reports at the end of the year, which, as he says, they must give in accordance with the obligations towards the UN and the OSCE. "We are not talking publicly about our military-technical cooperation," Hovakimian said, adding that he would provide complete information when the reports were completed. The Government of Serbia stated that it was like that, we have nothing more to add, said the ambassador. He adds that Armenia buys weapons from different nations, and claims that Azerbaijan buys even more.

Armenia does what it does legally, he said.

Asked how they would view Serbia's possible rapprochement with Baku, and whether it would reflect Armenia's attitude towards Kosovo, the H1 guest said that it was a matter of Serbia's foreign policy, that he did not know what to say, but added - "let (Serbia) it sees what Azerbaijan is doing importing terrorists, killing civilians. "

From Saint Sava to the 20th century, there were so many friendly relations between Serbs and Armenians, he added.

Armenia does not recognize Kosovo, but that is a position without blackmail, we are waiting for the issue to be resolved politically, he says and underlines: "What Serbia is doing with Kosovo, Azerbaijan has never done with Nagorno Karabakh."

Armenia did not recognize Kosovo, not only because of that, but because of deep, historical relations, he pointed out.

N1 also sent an invitation to the Embassy of Azerbaijan for talks. We hope to have the opportunity to hear their views as well. We remind you that the ambassador of Azerbaijan was recently arrested on suspicion of corruption.

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