Azerbaijan Sets Preconditions, Demands Artsakh Remain Part of Azerbaijan, Our Authorities Remain Silent: Seyran Ohanyan

There is a disastrous situation in Artsakh in terms of security and humanitarian conditions, while the Armenian authorities have washed their hands of Artsakh. Seyran Ohanyan, the head of the "Armenia" parliamentary faction and former Minister of Defense, made this statement during an interview with "Factinfo," assessing the situation created in Artsakh.

According to the former Minister of Defense, the enemy's goal is to occupy important heights and roads, strategic points, to gain territorial advantage and later exert pressure on Armenia and Artsakh. "From a strategic standpoint, their goal is to ethnically cleanse Artsakh, which is mentioned in several documents that the Armenian authorities do not take seriously. For example, we are talking about the 'Shushi Declaration,' which serves as a precondition for Armenian-Turkish relations. It mentions Azerbaijan's five preconditions, which relate to the recognition of territorial integrity and the establishment of peace, meaning that Artsakh remains under Azerbaijan, and the Armenian authorities are not responding in any way to this," Ohanyan stated.

Amid the backdrop of Azerbaijan's daily aggression, instead of responding, the Armenian authorities issue unilateral calls for peace. Moreover, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Armenia has approached the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group to organize negotiations for signing a peace agreement with Azerbaijan.

When asked by Seyran Ohanyan about the possible consequences of unilateral calls for peace and whether signing a peace agreement with Azerbaijan guarantees that it will cease provocations and aggression, the former Minister insisted that there is no guarantee that Azerbaijan will refrain from provocations after signing a peace agreement. "Normal states do not beg for peace; they impose peace. We are in favor of peace, but we oppose unilateral imposition. The preconditions that the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem imposes on Armenia constitute coercion for us to agree to unilateral peace, which is unacceptable. Signing a peace agreement is not a guarantee that Azerbaijan will not resort to provocations again," Ohanyan said.

He asserted that Armenia has already washed its hands of Artsakh and is not addressing the issue of Artsakh. According to him, the Armenian authorities are not taking any steps to ensure the security of the people of Artsakh. "I have said many times that the Armenian authorities are unable to determine the priorities that are paramount for our people today: the security of Armenia and Artsakh, our borders, and the rapid restoration of the army's combat readiness. Instead, they are busy serving narrow political interests," he emphasized.

At the end of the interview, we also inquired with Seyran Ohanyan about the potential danger of military operations in Artsakh, given the activation of the adversary. "They are working faster on equipping the new positions in Artsakh. The authorities and army of Artsakh should utilize their potential to study the border and identify all the gaps where Azerbaijan could engage in provocations and invade the territories of Artsakh," responded the former Minister of Defense.