ARKADY GHUKASYAN: ALIYEV PRETENDS NOT TO SEE AND NOT TO REMEMBER MUCH

armradio.am
08.07.2009 16:38

Armenia’s Ambassador-at-Large, ex-President of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic Arkady Ghukasyan commented on the recurrent harsh statement
of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who declared that he does not
see any opportunity for the existence of Nagorno Karabakh outside
its borders and the question of Karabakh’s status is not on the
agenda today.

"Having inherited Azerbaijan, Aliyev jr. pretends not to see and not
to remember much," Arkady Ghukasyan said RIA Novosti.

"He does not see the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. Moreover, from the
height of his potentially unchangeable dictatorial power he does not
see the democratic development of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic,
does not see the NKR territories occupied by Azerbaijan, does not
see the hundreds of thousands of Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan
and some regions of Karabakh, where his predecessors carried out
ethnic cleansings.

Aliyev does not remember that the Nagorno Karabakh Republic established
itself as a full-fledged state in line with all norms of international
law.

He does not remember the massacre of Armenians all over Azerbaijani
territory (Sumgayit, Kirovabad, Shamkhor, Baku…). He does not
remember that it launched a large-scale aggression against the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic, as a result of which both parties suffered human
and=2 0material losses. He does not remember how inglorious that
adventurism ended for Azerbaijan and does not remember with whom it
had to conclude a cease-fire agreement in 1994.

Aliyev does not listen to the calls of the international community to
stop the militant rhetoric, to take the snipers away from the line of
contact, to stop the hostile propaganda. He listens only to himself,
but tries to speak from the viewpoint of interests of the mediators,
Armenia, and even the people of Nagorno Karabakh.

Even speaking about peace, Aliyev threatens with war. Azerbaijan
has already launched war once. It would be logical for Aliyev to
ask himself where he was hiding when his peers were being sent to
the front.

The statements of Azeri leaders confirm that the are not ready for
mutual concessions. Living in the world of illusions, Aliyev actually
distorts the negotiation process."