YEREVAN—In an interview with Tert.am, an opposition lawmaker from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaksutyun (ARF-D) stressed the need for a comprehensive program to reduce the escalation tensions along the Armenian and Artsakh borders with Azerbaijan.
Agreeing with President Serzh Sarkisian’s concerns over a Russian-Azerbaijani arms sale, Armen Rustamian said he finds that Armenia’s strategic ally has to react adequately to the war threats surrounding the country. Rustamian said he thinks that the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) should also concentrate its efforts on easing the escalation in the region.
“Trade relations must be subordinated to political relations and never have predominance over strategic ties or partnership. This is what the President hints, and I believe it’s something all have to speak of. Russia, which is a strategic ally, must know that Armenia is facing a war; the CSTO has to use its efforts here. The military operations are not limited only to the borders of Karabakh; they occur also along the borders of Armenia,” Rustamian said.
Considering the President’s statement about an adequate reaction to the situation, Rustamian further spoke of the adverse effects of the continuing arms sale. “It’s a curious situation as we are attacked by the weapons sold by our strategic ally. A weapon is for defense: they aren’t sold for offensive operations; it is even forbidden in international practice. But it isn’t defensive arms that Azerbaijan is arming itself with; they are for offense. And by the way, Azerbaijan supplies itself with weapons not only from Russia but also Belarus, Israel, etc. Those weapons have already been found, so the relations are against a third country, Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. This is what I mean; do they arm [the sides] to later issue a call for ceasing fire against one another? That’s becoming a kind of duplicity,” Rustamian said.
The approach to arm armenia with advanced technology and superior weapons technology is the answer to counter Azery encroachment. We are in a state of war, the ceasefire of 93, it is just what it says, ceasefire. I am afraid we shall never have peace, unless we recover much more territory. We shall never have peace ,we are in a location which is in a region where our presence as a nation is resented and despised. The answer then is to be all vigilant and be armed to the teeth. The moment we let down our guard, we will be alone. The Russians may have a military base, but the fighting for the defense of our land will not be done by Russians or other so called friends and allies.
Ռուսիոյ այս ճնշումի գործելակերպին՝ որպէս Հակադարձութիւն՝ Հայաստան կրնայ ճանչնալ Լէրնային Ղարաբաղի Հանրապետութիւնը՝ և կցել Հայաստանին, չէղեալ նկատել սովետական շրջանի Սթալինի անիրաւութիւնը. Նաեւ ներկայանալ ԱՊՀ-ին՝ Հայաստանի Նոր ընթարցակուած սահմաննէրով:
I agree with what you suggest, but that can happen only when (…not if) Minsk group officially ceases its mediating activities. Otherwise Armenia can pay a heavy political (and territorial) price.
Azerbaijan may accelerate the demise of the Minsk group, because it wants to move the process of mediation to a more Azeri-friendly environment in the UN.
Russia’s foreign policy is very complicated, for South Caucasus region. Russia don’t care who will own the Artsakh or Nakhichevan, as long as both Axerbaijan and Armenia stay as part of Russia’s influential zone.
Russia’s domination in South Caucasus started, since the time of Russian Empire, when they defeated Persian domination over South Caucasus and Baku Khanat. Russia intensified her domination over newly independent Armenia after WW1, when Lenin and Uncle Joe, intentionally gave up Armenian lands to Turkey and Axerbaijan, in order to satisfy Turkic herds, where millions of them are surrounded mother Russia’s influential zone, who can pose a threat to Russia’s N. Caucasus region.
Armenia must have a very careful and balanced policy with Russia and Western world in order to survive as a nation and a sovereign country!