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Azerbaijani press: Karabakh Armenians reportedly panic over possible Yerevan-Baku peace accord

By Vafa Ismayilova

Local Armenians are going to move to Armenia, Russia, and Europe from the Russian peacekeepers' responsibility zone in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, a certain doctor from Khankandi, Marat Yeganyan, has said on his Facebook page. 

Baku-based news website Day.az reported that rumors circulate among the Armenians in Karabakh that in the fall re-elected Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will be forced to sign a peace treaty with Baku under which Armenia will recognize Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. Panic is reported to reign in Khankandi over this issue.

The separatist leader, war criminal Arayik Harutyunyan, who settled in the Russian peacekeepers' responsibility zone in Karabakh, is still trying to portray himself as "president".

However, the facts are obvious. The remnants of the Armenian separatists are on the path of self-destruction, which, in principle, corresponds to the trilateral agreement signed by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders on November 10.

Arutyunyan himself cannot be envied at all. Numerous rallies have been held in Khankandi for several days that demanded his "resignation".

In addition to their desperate plight caused by the 30-year occupation of Azerbaijani lands, the Armenians accuse Arutyunyan of the fact that he had arrived at Pashinyan's headquarters in Yerevan in advance and congratulated him on his victory in the elections.

Of course, the Armenians of Karabakh want to improve their life after the Second Karabakh War. However, this is absolutely impossible without Azerbaijan's participation.

The criminal regime of Arutyunyan and others like him, who have plundered the Azerbaijani lands for many years, will in no way be able to improve the lives of their fellow tribesmen, at least because of their endless greed, Day.az said.

The Armenians of Karabakh need to come to terms with the fact that the conflict is in the past and they can live well only within Azerbaijan, as was the case in the past. This is not a matter of one day or one week, but it will be resolved. Only the opening of communications and Armenia's recognition of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity will lead them to a better and normal life, the report added.

Considering that Azerbaijan is a multicultural, multinational, and multi-confessional state where dozens of peoples peacefully coexist, the integration of the Karabakh Armenians into Azerbaijan is a matter of time. T

The most important thing is that they accept the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan, and all the remaining issues regarding the economy and infrastructure will be resolved in stages.

"Azerbaijani flags will certainly fly in Khankandi. This is a future that cannot be prevented," Day.az said.

The Azerbaijani city of Khankandi belongs to the jurisdiction of the Karabakh Regional Justice Department,  Azerbaijan's Justice Ministry reported earlier.

The jurisdiction of the Karabakh Regional Justice Department includes the city of Khankandi, Shusha, Zangilan, Khojavand, Khojali, Gubadli, Lachin, Aghdam, Jabrayil, Fuzuli, and Kalbajar districts.

About 2,000 Russian peacekeepers have been deployed in the Nagorno-Karabakh region under the Moscow-brokered cease-fire deal that brought an end to six weeks of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s. The deal stipulated the return of Azerbaijan’s Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions. Before the signing of the peace deal, Azerbaijan liberated 300 villages, settlements, city centres, and historic Shusha city that had been under Armenian occupation for about 30 years.