Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 28
Trend:
Driven into a dead end by the Karabakh problem, Pashinyan’s Armenia is strengthening the efforts of its rotten, lie-laden anti-Azerbaijani propaganda machine, to no avail.
Local hedge-writers in Yerevan, publishing false articles about the "velvet revolution", are trying in every possible way to patch the foreign policy gaps of the Pashinyan team in Armenia. They see the salvation of the sinking ship called "independent Armenia" in the spread of misinformation and lies against Azerbaijan, which, unlike Armenia, is rapidly developing and gaining strength.
As a cheap trick, trying to sow discord between Azerbaijan and its neighbors in the region (particularly Iran), the Armenian propaganda machine tried yet again to propagate false information on the subject of the purchase of Israeli drones by Azerbaijan – which, as it appears, managed to get those in Yerevan disquieted.
As such, one of these Armenian authors, possessing a hysterical imagination, recently voiced “threatening” conclusions on the pages of the Aysor newspaper that supposedly Baku has already been dragged into a dangerous game.
According to the Armenian pseudo-journalist, the acquisition of Israeli drones has ostensibly dragged Baku so deeply into the fatal cycle of Middle Eastern chaos that one has to talk about the “preparation of the Azerbaijani territory, infrastructure, and, possibly, even the army, for delivering a blow to the Shiite axis of Tehran – Baghdad."
In reality, the attempts of the Armenian journalist at vilifying the relations of Azerbaijan with neighboring Iran elicit a chuckle. What is interesting is that Armenia’s relations with Iran began deteriorating right after Pashinyan came to power.
It is not hard to recall that Pashinyan, himself a great master of mannered speeches, repeatedly called Iran "an authoritarian state" and then had to apologize to Tehran. Meanwhile, Pashinyan’s statements that Armenia could close the border with Iran suggest that, with an order from the US, Yerevan is ready to drop "friendly" relations with Tehran.
Speaking of which, the Armenian government imposed an embargo on imported Iranian cement prior to the official visit of Prime Minister Pashinyan to Iran on February 7, which caused dissatisfaction in Tehran. This once again showed the ineptness of the ruling team formed by Pashinyan himself.
In turn, Baku pursues a balanced foreign policy with its neighbors in the region, one which is based on mutual respect and trust. This has resulted in the right conclusions being made in Tehran, a recent example of which is the Iranian government’s decision to introduce the teaching of the Azerbaijani language in Iranian schools. In my opinion, this is a historic event, which testifies to the trust that exists between the two countries.
Azerbaijanis living in Iran are rightfully to be considered a fundamental, state-forming nation. They have played a large role both in the history of Persia starting from the Middle Ages and of modern Iran. It is known that Azerbaijani dynasties, such as the Qajars and Safavids, were periodically in power in Persia. The history of Iranian Shiism began in Ardabil, the Iranian city where Azerbaijanis live to this day.
On the other hand, the introduction of the Azerbaijani language in the school curriculum can also be regarded as a foreign policy gesture on Tehran's part. Moreover, this step will strengthen the cultural and humanitarian ties of Iran with Azerbaijan.
Therefore, in light of another rapprochement between the two countries, the latest statements made by the Armenian side on the use of Israeli drones are a clear provocation against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has the right to strengthen its defenses and replenish its military arsenal while its ancestral domains are under occupation and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict imposed by Armenia remains unresolved.
It appears that this is clearly understood in neighboring Iran as well.
Head of the Expert Council of the Baku Network,
Elkhan Alasgarov, PhD
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