X
    Categories: 2021

2nd President Kocharyan: Azerbaijan does not give captives back because it wants to stop Artsakh army replenishment

News.am, Armenia
Jan 28 2021

I am convinced that we should not have any contact without resolving the issue of captives; that should be a precondition for taking all the other steps. The second president of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, said this in an interview with three media outlets on Wednesday, referring to the issue of POWs.

"Now, what does ‘state secret’ mean? Another question arises: from whom, could Azerbaijan not know how many [Armenian] captives it has? (…). It is a matter of principle; they must be returned (…).

Why does Azerbaijan not give to the captives? It wants to stop the replenishment of the Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] army. (…). I am convinced that [Azerbaijani president Ilham] Aliyev is under constant pressure over the captives’ issue. He keeps [them] for a very specific purpose; he keeps that tool to destroy the fragments of the Artsakh state system. After handing over the captives, they will take [captives] again, until they receive an assurance from here that they will not send any military from Armenia to Artsakh; the price will be that, and our government will go for it," Kocharyan added.

Emil Lazarian: “I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS