One Should Not Doubt for a Second: If Conditions are Favorable, Azerbaijan Will Resort to War - Davit Babayan

In an interview with 1lurer.am, the Foreign Minister of Artsakh, Davit Babayan, shared his views on regional tensions.

- Mr. Babayan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has declared that "there is neither a status nor Artsakh." He labeled as a very "wise move" the fact that during the visit of European Council President Charles Michel to Azerbaijan, he did not use the terms 'status' or 'Artsakh.' What do you think is the purpose of such rhetoric? Moreover, he emphasized that Moscow agrees with him on this matter.

- I am more than convinced that this is yet another statement from Aliyev that has no connection with reality. Firstly, Artsakh exists, and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not definitively resolved. The simple fact that Artsakh exists already indicates that what Aliyev says does not correspond to reality. Secondly, Russian President Putin has repeatedly stated that the issue is unresolved. He said that painful compromises are necessary on Azerbaijan's part as well. This means that this is nothing other than questions relating to the future of Artsakh. In other words, a unilateral, selfish, and terrorist behavior is not accepted first and foremost by the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. If that were the case, their ambassadors would visit Shushi. What Aliyev says about the absence of a Nagorno-Karabakh issue, we must understand that this is their agenda. Their agenda is to annihilate Artsakh. He has expressed his vision by stating that there are 25,000 Armenians living in Artsakh. This too does not correspond to reality, but this is the number they want to leave in Artsakh at most, as a reservation, a concentration camp. They will not accept any other number. Those people will be hostages, there will be a zoo where Armenians will remain. In other words, the slogan of the Young Turks, that one Armenian should remain, and that too in a zoo or museum, is the same. This is clear. As always, Aliyev presents himself as the most honest enemy, not hiding his goals.

- In your opinion, does Moscow really disagree, or is Aliyev speaking on behalf of Russia?

- Moscow cannot defend its position. No Armenian will remain in Azerbaijan. Everyone will leave. There are a few options: war with Azerbaijan, slaughter, or leaving en masse. Everyone understands that we have no future in Azerbaijan. We understand that someone can be bought. Are there such traitors who fled to Baku? But such people are very few; one or two could do something for their stomachs, based on the principle of self-interest. There will be no future here. We have no future within Azerbaijan, and everyone understands this well in Russia, the USA, and France.

- What is the purpose of Aliyev's sharp rhetoric and statements about establishing a presence in Zangezur? Are new military operations expected?

- Aliyev has officially established a geopolitical front against Armenia in Zangezur. This program has already started. We should not conduct an ostrich policy and think that this is not the case. They have created the Eastern Zangezur economic region. There has never been anything like this. The next step will be the establishment of an administrative-territorial union. As soon as he created that region, we said that the next step would be to bring Western Zangezur into circulation. And so it was. Two days later, he declared that Western Zangezur must be liberated, while Karvachar was included in Eastern Zangezur, which historically has never been part of Zangezur, as well as the southern part of the Hadrut region, the former Jabrail, which has never been Zangezur. Why is he doing this? To enlarge the territory. If you draw a parallel line, it turns out that the entire southern part of Gegharkunik and Vayots Dzor are all Western Zangezur. Sooner or later, he will resort to adventurism. One should not doubt for a second that if conditions are favorable, he will resort to war.