We Will Return Askeran and Hadrut, Facebook Will Be Closed, and Cults Will Be Expelled – Vitaly Balasanyan

My two-day visit to Yerevan was official, with the goal of meetings with the Chief of Staff of the RA Armed Forces and the Minister of Defense. I worked with them for two days and proposed that the Ministry of Defense report to the Prime Minister. He reported, and then informed that there were no issues. We discussed the cooperation between the Armed Forces of Artsakh and Armenia, and the elevation of Artsakh’s subjectivity. It was stated that the Armed Forces of Artsakh and all equalized structures must be under the authority of Artsakh’s political and military leadership. During those days, I did not meet with Prime Minister Pashinyan, and I ask you to stop the rumors about it.

This was stated by Vitaly Balasanyan, Secretary of the Security Council of Artsakh, Hero of Artsakh, and General, during an interview with Artsakh Public Television.

Balasanyan stated that the war broke out due to the erroneous policies pursued by Nikol Pashinyan, creating a deadlock situation with no alternative but war. “Of course, we could have avoided it. They assured us that our relations with our strategic ally, Russia, were good, but I would not assess it that way. We should have pursued a flexible policy, including with Iran and our ally Russia. It’s not that everything is lost for Armenia and Artsakh. Now, the territory of Artsakh is no less than in 1991-92. We must learn lessons and act as a subject in relations with Armenia and Russia. Artsakh is not mentioned as a subject in the November 9 statement. I want to thank Russian President Putin, who wanted to halt the war every day. The document does not concern Artsakh, but we cooperate with the peacekeeping force stationed here as equals. I am cooperating with Lieutenant General Ruslan Muradov. I am sure our cooperation with Russia will deepen.

The statement from Baku that Karabakh is part of Azerbaijani territory is far from reality. After the ceasefire, there have been territorial violations by Azerbaijan, but they are temporary. I want to inform the people that there will be border clarifications and clarification of our status. We will return part of Askeran and the Hadrut region after working with Armenia and Russia. We have not been defeated. The situation in 1991-93 was much worse. We will start meetings with the heads of all communities and the military commanders; we need to replenish the troops, and people will be able to serve with higher salaries. It is our sacred duty.

We will create border guard troops, permanent troops, all under our Defense Army, which will also be subordinate to the Security Council. There will be an Army and a National Guard, and the police will have a reinforced battalion, while the NSS will have special units. We will give all of this the force of law. We will also conduct anti-terror operations, as terrorists have not yet left these areas. The talk that Azerbaijanis are roaming in our territory, entering stores, etc., is fake. All violations will be halted, including by the peacekeeping force. Criminal cases will be initiated; if they drink alcohol, they will be sent back to Russia. There has been one such case, and he has been sent to Russia. The use of drugs is prohibited in Artsakh, and users will be expelled from Artsakh. I call on all sectarian offices to close them immediately and leave; we will not allow their activities in Artsakh. We follow the Armenian Church, and there will be no other directions here. The territory of Artsakh is a sanctuary,” Balasanyan stated.

Vitaly Balasanyan also mentioned that he will deal with issues of prisoners and missing persons, emphasizing that Azerbaijan does not adhere to norms. They have operated on all their prisoners, while Azerbaijan cannot show one instance where they treated an Armenian soldier well.

“We have nothing to fear. Of course, the Azerbaijani military-political leadership will occasionally make warlike statements to demoralize us, discourage us, and gradually move us from our territory, but times have changed. Armenians have lived here for millennia, and they will continue to do so for millennia more. We have never pointed a finger at the Azerbaijani people, but when the first person of the country points a finger, it is very dangerous for him and for his people. We will live and see what situation Azerbaijan will find itself in a short time. I do not want to open brackets, but we will be watching from the sidelines. They must adhere to norms. We did not collapse, so they can trample over us; they fell in '94, but we did not collapse,” he emphasized.

The Secretary of the Security Council of Artsakh mentioned that a de-urbanization program will be implemented because villages have been depopulated over decades, and the land is first and foremost strengthened by the peasant. The creation occurs more in the village than in the city, as people often go to salons or live on Facebook, where malice is generated. He emphasized that a sparse population is also more favorable from a security perspective.

Vitaly Balasanyan stated that one of the forthcoming decisions of the Security Council will concern Facebook: “No one will be able to distribute official messages from there, starting from the President of Artsakh. Whoever posts something during working hours will be sent home. Enter people’s workplaces, and you will see them sitting in front of computers, writing something or reading what someone else has written; this will end. Everyone in Artsakh must work in such a way that, metaphorically speaking, they fall asleep at the moment they take their socks off in the evening,” he stated.

According to Balasanyan, until September, the people spent 15 billion drams on the internet, which is disgraceful since the budget of Artsakh is 120 billion. A commission will be created, where invited technologists will work, all of whom are Armenians, to help develop a program to counter external propaganda threats and internal media policy.

“For several days, I have been saying that I have not met with Pashinyan; the media writes that I have met. Hadrut fell days ago, and people spread that they are walking through Hadrut and going towards Getashen and Shahumyan, etc. That will not happen,” Vitaly Balasanyan stated.