The Danger of Open War Between Armenia and Azerbaijan is Real and Underestimated: Former NATO Secretary General

In the coming months, the danger of open war between Armenia and Azerbaijan is both real and underestimated. This statement was made by former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in an interview with 'Le Figaro'.

"There is only one road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, and that road has been closed since December 12. This situation could lead to a humanitarian disaster. The ultimate goal may be ethnic cleansing, which would make life for locals so difficult that many might simply leave the area. I have sent a message to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev calling for the blockade to be lifted. He has not responded to me, nor has he ever answered various statements from the international community. The International Court has also obliged Azerbaijan to stop the blockade, yet it continues to persist. I appreciate Emmanuel Macron's commitment on this issue and hope that the major states of the European Union will join France in pressuring President Aliyev," Rasmussen said.

When asked about the kind of pressure being discussed, the former NATO Secretary General reminded that the European Commission and Azerbaijan are linked by energy agreements. "It is evident that after the cessation of Russian gas supplies, we need alternatives. However, this agreement could serve as an excellent basis for exerting pressure on the Azerbaijani president. It is important to make Baku understand that our energy interests will not compel us to turn a blind eye to a potential humanitarian disaster," he emphasized.

According to Rasmussen, Aliyev is aware that international isolation would not be beneficial for him. He noted that the Azerbaijani president carefully calculates the boundaries that should not be crossed in violation of international law. "The blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh is a violation of the law, just like the terrorist acts that took place last September in Armenian territory, which were followed by the occupation of certain areas of Armenia. The European Union must make it clear to Aliyev's regime that these violations cannot go unpunished," the former NATO Secretary General stated.

Rasmussen pointed out that to ensure the rights and security guarantees of the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh, the establishment of an international mechanism is necessary to oversee the implementation of those guarantees. He stated that this is unachievable without a peacekeeping mission capable of warning of the threat of ethnic cleansing.

In this regard, he called for the deployment of an international armed mission with a UN mandate to Nagorno-Karabakh.

It should be noted that on March 13, former NATO Secretary General and founder of the 'Rasmussen Global' international political consultancy Anders Fogh Rasmussen was in Armenia. He met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Defense Minister Suren Papikyan, and Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan. Rasmussen also visited the beginning of the Lachin corridor. Pashinyan and Rasmussen had also met on February 18 during the Munich Security Conference.