BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31

By Matanat Nasibova – Trend:

The populist statements of the Armenian current leadership are usually voiced for the sole purpose of resolving numerous domestic political problems in Armenia, Head of the Baku Network Expert Council, PhD Elkhan Alasgarov told Trend.

In this sense, recent remarks made by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at a press-conference in Armenia’s Kapan town once again confirmed this.

Referring to the Armenian media, the expert reminded that Pashinyan actually accused Armenian ex-President Serzh Sargsyan that during his power, a document on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement was adopted, which, according to Pashinyan, was on the negotiating table. In accordance with the document, Armenia was to transfer seven occupied districts to Azerbaijan.

“Pashinyan thereby accused his opponents, the Karabakh clan, including Sargsyan, of allegedly agreeing to withdraw the Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, in particular, to return seven Azerbaijani districts with the condition of preserving the corridor between Armenia and Karabakh,” Alasgarov said.

“Obviously, Pashinyan wants to solve various socio-economic problems, including those related to the purchase of Russian gas, and at the same time, he is trying to win Sargsyan’s associates, the Karabakh clan to his side,” the expert said. “In fact, he is trying to divert the attention of Armenian people from economic problems to those on the political agenda."

Further, the expert drew attention to the negative reaction of the OSCE Minsk Group to the statements of the Armenian Prime Minister, calling it reasonable.

"The dissatisfaction of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs is quite justified, since the Armenian prime minister struck the blow not only to the negotiation process, but also to the position of international mediators that has been developed over many years. In my opinion, Pashinyan framed the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs with this statement. Thought in the framework of the meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers with the participation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, international mediators expressed dissatisfaction with the Armenian foreign minister," Alasgarov said.

The Azerbaijani expert suggested that at the negotiating table in Geneva, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs might invite Mnatsakanyan to make a statement that would disavow Pashinyan’s recent statements on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

"If the Armenian minister is not proactive on this issue, it is quite possible that the international mediators will issue a new statement confirming the fact that the Armenian side behaved incorrectly, making the OSCE Minsk Group’s long-term activity useless and worthless," Alasgarov said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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Head of the Expert Council of the Baku Network, PhD Elkhan Alasgarov

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