BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug.19
Trend:
The provocation from the Armenian armed forces against Azerbaijan is evident, a Russian serviceman from the peacekeeping contingent temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan’s territories [liberated from Armenian occupation in the 2020 Karabakh war] said, Trend reports on Aug.19 citing Telegram channels.
"I’m serving here at the second shift, that is, I changed those [Russian servicemen] who entered Karabakh in November 2020. Actually, all this fuss was the result of a big Armenian collapse. Armenia cannot reconcile with its defeat, trying in every possible way to show its importance,” he noted.
“Shooting very often takes place on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan, but this is all just to draw attention to the whole situation and disrupt peace negotiations on the designation of state borders. After analyzing everything that happened, we can say that the provocation on the part of the Armenian armed forces is obvious,” the serviceman emphasized.
As for the mined areas, the Russian peacekeeper stressed that he has never seen such a number of minefields anywhere else.
“Moreover, Armenian armed forces were retreating so hastily that documents for the location of many fields weren’t even drawn up. So the humanitarian demining unit every day has to clear the area [from the mines]. Armenians living here previously treated us kindly, even in shops very often they didn’t even take money, but now everything has changed. We are a very good source of income,” he further said.
“The standard of living [in the territory] is low. Taking into account the money and travel allowance ($17 per day), the peacekeepers can afford a lot [buy many goods], and the Armenians make use of this, in places where posts are placed, shops immediately opened. There are also irreconcilable ones who believe that we have betrayed them by not getting involved in the war on the side of Armenia,” the serviceman added.
Azerbaijani political analyst Elchin Mirzabayli commenting on the Russian peacekeeper’s statements said that Armenia is unable to solve even the food problem of Armenians in Karabakh.
According to Mirzabayli, the peacekeepers’ opinions regarding the situation in the Azerbaijani territories, where the Armenians live, reflect reality, and the situation will worsen due to Armenia’s refusal to sign a peace treaty [with Azerbaijan].
"During the occupation of Azerbaijani territories [by Armenia], the situation of the Armenians [living in Karabakh], who became hostages of the self-proclaimed occupation regime, was deplorable. Armenian war criminals exploited the territories of Azerbaijan, and namely, the criminals are guilty of the fact the Armenian civilians living in our lands stagnated in poverty,” he noted.
“Today, Armenia, the economy of which has collapsed and the army was crushed, has no prospects for development without normalizing relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey. Armenia is unable to solve not only social but also the food problems of Armenians living in the Azerbaijani territories, where Russian peacekeepers are temporarily stationed. In order to distract from the deplorable social situation, Armenia deliberately tries to create confusion and makes provocations at the border,” the analyst further said. “The real number of Armenians in our territory, where Russian peacekeepers are stationed, also betokens that they leave these lands at the first opportunity and go to other countries. The rest are prevented from doing this by the pandemic and the difficult financial situation.”
Mirzabayli also noted that currently, the Azerbaijani territories where Armenians live are in no way connected with Armenia geographically or economically.
"The economy on these lands can develop only in conditions of integration with other territories of Karabakh, to which they belong geographically. Therefore, the only way out for Armenia is to take appropriate steps in the near future towards signing a peace treaty with Azerbaijan," he concluded.