Ambassador Ashot Hovakimyan's interview to the newspaper “Lidove Novini

16 October, 2020

Interview by the Ambassador of Armenia to the Czech Republic Ashot Hovakimian to ,,Lidove Noviny,, daily, Prague, 16.10.2020

INTERVIEW

Islamist mercenaries war against Armenians

says Armenian ambassador to Czech Repulica about the fights in Nagorno Karabakh

We fear that our small region will become a battlefield for foreign terrorists, Armenian ambassador Ashot Hovakimian admits.

Turkey is Turkey, says Ashot Hovakimian in Czech Republic after the war restoration between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan. It points out that Turkey brought warriors to the Caucasus originally connected to the Islamic State and the an-Nusra group, that is, they will offshoot al-Qaeda.

LN What is the current situation regarding the fights in Nagorno-Karabakh?

We are at a time when escalation took place almost two weeks and now there is three days ceasefire agreement that was concluded after a long and difficult negotiation for the mediation of the Russian foreign minister. The ceasefire was more or less observed during the first hours, but unfortunately in recent days the Azerbaijani army still shepherds the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh St těpanakert and other areas. The ceasefire must be observed, otherwise there will be another escalation and other victims.

LN Where are the lines of fighting between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh troops? Are Armenians still holding Nagorno Karabakh, a corridor connecting it to Armenia and also other territories they occupied?

I need to clarify the terminology a bit. You were talking about occupied territory, but the Republic of Armenia did not occupy anyone. I recommend using terminology used by co-chairs (Russia, USA and France) Minsk group OSCE in their official documents.

It's not an occupied territory, it's a seat belt around the former autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which was created after the first wave of enmity in 1993-1994. This safety belt was then possible - the weapons were a little less sophisticated than now - to prevent the shelling of people in Nagorno-Karabakh by the Azerbaijani army . At 1994 an agreement to stop fire between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh was signed on the touch line.

The corridor between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh works. But what it looks like on site, that's a question for the soldiers there.

LN A few days ago, however, there was news that Nagorno-Karabakh forces are losing and that Nagorno-Karabakh will be occupied by Azerbaijan in two three weeks.

Be very careful when assessing situation reports. The Armenian authorities did not confirm such a thing. Similar information is expanded by the Azerbaijani side. For example, there was news that Azerbaijan had occupied Hadrut city, but it was not true. Struggles are hard though. A small army of Nagorno-Karabakh faces the Azerbaijani army, which is supported by Turkey and receives military and technical assistance from it. In addition, there are also foreign warriors, terrorists. We fear that our small region will become a battlefield for foreign terrorists. It is not far from Europe and I have warned our Czech friends about this development.

LN What evidence do you have of foreign warriors presence on the Azerbaijani side?

We have video footage, records of their conversation with both each other and the people in their home. Russia, the United States and France confirmed their existence. It is thousands of people and mostly from Syria. For various groups attached to the Islamic State and former an-Nusra fighting for money now. Still more to come. Their presence reduces the number of Azerbaijani victims because they do not count as Azerbaijanis. Azerbaijan uses ethnic minority as a cannonenfutr.

LN Is Armenia helping Nagorno-Karabakh military?

Nagorno-Karabakh has its government and its army is fighting there. Armenia is helping him financially and is his security guarantor and many young people from Armenia have gone there to fight as volunteers. But there are no forces of the army of Armenia.

LN Armenia does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as a sovereign state. Nevertheless, she stated that she would recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh if they shipwrecked talks about ceasefire.

It's been on the show of the day for a long time and this idea is circulating in Armenian society. Armenia has not yet recognized Nagorno-Karabakh because it wants to act responsibly and does not want this thing to ′′ provoke ′′ more escalation of the conflict. The question of recognition of the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh is on the agenda, but the compromise is that it is not on the agenda immediately. Another thing is that Armenia calls on the international community to notice the situation where Azerbaijani aggression is here and recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh.

LN Both units are inhabited by Armenians, so is the ultimate goal of unifying Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia? Isn't it useless to have two Armenian states?

Nagorno-Karabakh was part of Soviet Azerbaijan, not independent Azerbaijan. It was an autonomous area, the vast majority of the people were Armenians. Nagorno-Karabakh residents voted independence. According to the Soviet Constitution they could gain independence in the collapse of the Soviet Union. Just like Azerbaijan. And when it comes to two Armenian states, when Azerbaijan and Turkey declare that they are one nation and two states alone, why should this be a problem with Armenians? Everything should be solved by negotiations with the co-chairs of the Minsk Group (Russia, USA and France) OSCE in charge of solving such conflicts. But Azerbaijan does not want it.

LN But solving this conflict hasn't been much progress since the's.

Acting is long and difficult, but war and genocidal intentions are not a solution. Can't take it that when you're rich enough and have guns, that you'll say you've had enough, how long it takes and behave like this.

LN What is the solution then?

The solution was and is always one thing. It is to return to the 1994 and 1995 agreement to stop fire, stop military actions and establish negotiations. Return to the negotiating table without any preliminary conditions.

But LN You are against Turkey's co-presidency in the Minsk group, as Azerbaijan wants.

We are because it has really become a party to the conflict, it supports one side. It shouldn't even be in Minsk group. Such a country cannot be an intermediary of negotiations. Turkey openly supports Azerbaijan, even in military terms. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan uses turkish and Islamist factors to fulfill his big dreams and uses the open space where he has it. Turks don't think about Armenia and Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan is just a tool for fantasy Turkish expansionist plans.

LN Turks say, however, that it is similar to Russia and Armenia and their defense treaty.

No, it's not. Russia has good diplomatic relations with both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan even supplies weapons. Turkey has no diplomatic relations with Armenia, there is a Turkish blockade of Armenia. Ankara stated that she fully supports the negotiations of Azerbaijan. That's a big difference. Turkey wants influence in the region.

LN Sometimes there is an interpretation that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a conflict between Christianity and Islam. What do you think?

I've seen it many times, and even in the Czech press. This is the most dangerous thing and you need to avoid it. Azerbaijan likes to use it. It uses Turkish factors and sometimes also an Islamist factor. But Armenians lived among Muslim population for centuries. We have excellent relations with Iran, many Arab countries.

LN According to other explanations, the current conflict is, among other things, the result of the US being too intrigued by the election campaign and Russia in turn, economic problems and the new coronavirus pandemics, so it does not care about regional conflicts.

You answered the question why Azerbaijan started a war with Turkey's support. They saw there was such a window of opportunity. Armenia did not need such a thing.

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