Trend European Desk Commentator Elmira Tariverdiyeva
Recently increasing claims of the Armenian authorities that the international law stands by Yerevan, in the context of Azerbaijan's election as a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council and Baku's statement on inclusion of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue on the agenda of the Security Council, are puzzling.
One can take different approaches to many aspects of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement. This is natural, when the two warring parties interpret the principles of international law and statements of international institutions in own way.
However, there are egregious cases, in which no one should have doubt in the wrong of the Armenian side. For example, it is impossible to explain Yerevan's open desire to settle the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan with Armenian citizens.
Yerevan proclaimed a program of "Armenia-3500" (3500- is the hint to the myth of the 3,500-year history of Armenia) in connection with the 20th anniversary of the country's independence.
In this regard, organizers of this action spread the message stating that the objective is to convince 3,500 Armenians living abroad to move to live in Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
The authors of the program believe its implementation will provide real assistance to the development of Armenia. If everyone who came to Armenia spends an average of $ 50,000 to buy an apartment, open a business or simply to live in his homeland, Armenia will receive $ 175 million (if all 3,500 people will do so). In addition, knowledge and experience of those who have moved back home will create conditions for the formation of the business environment in Armenia, the authors of the program hope.
Those who will prefer to settle in the Nagorno-Karabakh, will offered free accommodation as a further incentive. The program core is a group of thirty Armenians that had already returned home, whose actions should be an inspiration to others.
It is amazing hypocrisy. The authorities in Yerevan screaming on every street corner that 'the people of Nagorno-Karabakh'- is almost a separate ethnic group fighting for independence. However, Yerevan does not oppose to allegedly independent initiatives of the organization, which calls Armenians to return 'motherland', identifying Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh and openly disregarding all international norms.
Here, it is impossible to say that the status quo really does not satisfy the Armenian authorities. With the acquiescence, the existing situation is cemented by the Armenian Diaspora for many years.
Meanwhile, the international community, which was repeatedly exasperated by construction of the Israeli settlements on the left bank of the Jordan River, does not react to similar actions of Armenia.
It turns out that the illegally seized the Azerbaijani land, including the mosques, homes and the graves of ancestors, and kept for twenty years, have become a bargaining chip in the maintenance of life of the dying Armenian economy?
Can it really be true, that to somehow stop the demographic decline and total migration of Armenians from the country, it is necessary to resort to such clever techniques as a program on returning , apparently approved by the authorities? Is not it easier to establish relations with the closest neighbors - Azerbaijan and Turkey and take part in great number of the regional projects? Is not this the surest way to eliminate the chronic economic problems of the locked poor country, living on handouts from the Armenian diaspora and the large northern neighbor? Why NGOs are not campaigning, "Open the borders of our homeland?" These questions remain unanswered ..
Alas, to date none of the international institutions have responded to the blatant violation of all international norms by Armenia.