Aleksandr Iskandaryan: Azerbaijan not satisfied with outcome of war and not preparing for the ‘era of peace’
YEREVAN, December 1. /ARKA/. Azerbaijan is not satisfied with the outcome of the last year war in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone (when it reclaimed seven regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh and part of the latter) and is not preparing for the "era of peace," offered by the Armenian authorities, Aleksandr Iskandaryan, the director of the Caucasus Institute in Yerevan, said to Novosti-Armenia news agency.
According to Iskandaryan, Azerbaijan’s minimum or medium program is not fulfilled and it is clear what Azerbaijan wants.
‘If Azerbaijan had got what it wanted in full, that is, deportation or annihilation of the whole Armenian population of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), which happened in Hadrut and Karvachar, even in such a case Azerbaijan would not stand up and say - ok, we will now establish an era of peace."
Asked whether Armenia is ready to resist Azerbaijan's encroachments on its sovereign territory, Iskandaryan said Armenia is trying to resist it.
He cited as examples the postponement of the meeting between the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan, which was previously planned for November 9 but took place on November 26, as well as the failure of the November 26 meeting to make a decision on the reopening of transport links between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which had been mentioned earlier.
"To resist seriously, you need resources. That resource needs to be built," Iskandaryan said.
After three-hour meeting in Sochi on November 26, hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan expressed a willingness toward progress on border delimitation and improving economic and transport links.
In a statement issued after their talks, all three pledged "to take steps to increase the level of stability and security on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and to work towards the creation of a bilateral commission on the delimitation of the state border between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia with its subsequent demarcation with the consultative assistance of the Russian Federation at the request of the parties."
On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijani armed forces, backed by Turkey and foreign mercenaries and terrorists, attacked Nagorno-Karabakh along the entire front line using rocket and artillery weapons, heavy armored vehicles, military aircraft and prohibited types of weapons such as cluster bombs and phosphorus weapons.
After 44 days of the war, on November 9, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a statement on the cessation of all hostilities. According to the document, the town of Shushi, the districts of Agdam, Kelbajar and Lachin were handed over to Azerbaijan, with the exception of a 5-kilometer corridor connecting Karabakh with Armenia.
A Russian peacekeeping contingent was deployed along the contact line in Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor. -0-
