«Hraparak». «The Armed Forces and the Army Have Completed Their Work, Now It’s Time for a Political Solution» - Artak Zakaryan

«Hraparak» newspaper writes: «Could local clashes lead to large-scale actions? We asked former Deputy Minister of Defense Artak Zakaryan. «It is unpredictable. The number one official of the country should understand that the armed forces and the army have done their job and completed it, now a political solution is needed, because Azerbaijan will constantly attack these positions.»

Why?

«Because it is an important juncture and weakens Azerbaijan's defensive and offensive capabilities.» What is the political solution? «The authorities should use all resources of relations with the CSTO, OSCE, Russia, and Iran.»

Should they appeal to the CSTO? «There are a thousand and one procedures to appeal to the CSTO, I mean the political solution and not a military option - the CSTO should be made to understand that this is not a matter of the UAZ's disorientation, but rather an Azerbaijani attack on the escort.»

Why isn’t the CSTO doing this? «They don’t take us seriously.» And what should we expect from the OSCE Minsk Group? «We need to restore the agreements made in Vienna, St. Petersburg, and Geneva, and also implement cosmic surveillance to monitor the military movements of both sides from orbit. We need to ensure that Russia clearly states its position and makes unambiguous statements, especially due to the Turkish factor, since we have joint agreements with the RF regarding airspace and the ‘remnants’.”

Regarding Iran: since all this is also an attempt to prevent the expansion of the EAEU towards Iran, Iran should be involved in the diplomatic process as a linking element, as a seemingly invisible but very serious ally.