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IMPERATIVE TO EXCLUDE “THE UNCONTROLLABLE CHAOS”

Ruzan ISHKHANYAN

 The fact that the violation of the state border of the Republic of Armenia by Azerbaijan in the border area of Syunik eventually led to the issue of demarcation and delimitation between the parties raises serious reflections. Why did Azerbaijan go to that provocation before the parliamentary elections in Armenia? What does it mean to return to the borders of the Soviet times, what are the dangers in the conditions of the current geopolitical developments? The Republic of Armenia is an independent, sovereign state, the borders of which are enshrined in the basic law of the country.

Moscow offers its mediation in the issue of demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov informed at the joint press conference with his Tajik counterpart in Dushanbe that the CSTO foreign ministers discussed the situation in Syunik region at Armenia's request. "According to the preliminary agreement between the parties (Armenia and Azerbaijan), Russia offered to assist in the demarcation process, initiating the establishment of a joint Armenian-Azerbaijani commission, in which Russia can participate as an advisor, if you wish, as a mediator" , said Russia's number one diplomat. According to him, there was a corresponding agreement between the parties. The question arises, when exactly was that agreement, why is it conveyed to the Armenian society through the Russian Foreign Minister? Official Yerevan's position was presented by the acting RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. He announced at the government session:"The solutions that are currently pre-agreed with our international partners are 100% in line with the interests of Armenia, and if Azerbaijan implements those agreements, yes, I will sign that document." Then this approach was corrected: “as long as the Azerbaijani servicemen have not left the territory of the Republic of Armenia, the Armenian side will not sign the document”. The question was also discussed by the parliamentarians. Some speeches stood out with remarkable accents; in particular, it was suggested not to hurry in determining the borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan, to refer to it only after the parliamentary elections, that is, to leave those who will receive the people's vote of confidence. They emphasized that the borders of Artsakh should not be questioned, the sovereignty of Artsakh should not be attacked, and we should remain faithful to the idea believed by the Armenian people for decades: Artsakh will never be part of Azerbaijan.
Earlier, the US State Department presented a position, emphasizing that "military movement in disputed territories is an irresponsible and provocative step. ‘Factor.am’ has written to the US State Department with a request to comment on the phrase "disputed territories". The answer to the latter is the following thought. "We are seeking further clarification on the movement of Azerbaijani border guards in the area where there is no international border demarcation.We urge the parties to start formal discussions on the peaceful demarcation of the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan." The message of the State Department was very clear: the fact of the intrusion of the Azerbaijani armed border guards into the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia needs additional clarification. We think it is appropriate that the statement made at the level of the RA MFA spokesperson that Armenia rejects the introduction of the so-called "disputed territories" false agenda, which can be a dangerous precedent for justifying the use of force in other regions as well. Note the other important emphasis of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: demarcation and delimitation should be part of the process of comprehensive peaceful settlement of the conflict, within the framework of which the issues of de-occupation of the territories of Artsakh and determination of the final legal status of Artsakh should be addressed.
We cannot ignore the meeting of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, which took place in Reykjavik, during which the Syrian crisis and the Armenian-Azerbaijani border incident were discussed. According to the American side, regional issues were discussed, including the search for a long-term political settlement of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It is clear that the United States, as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, views the Syunik issue exclusively in that dimension.
As the violation of the state border of Armenia is not a problem of local scale, that is to say that world players are involved in the settlement of the situation, on the other hand, Azerbaijan and Turkey, dissatisfied with the results of the 44-day war, continue their policy of aggression and information war. And Armenia is in the phase of internal political crisis, which increases the possibility of deepening instability inside the country by external forces; the imperative not to give in to internal and external provocations automatically becomes a priority. We all realize what "uncontrollable chaos" means, what dangers the developments with such a script contain.

 

 

 

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