(MENAFN- AzerNews)
Fatima Latifova
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The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia has disrupted
stability and security in the South Caucasus region for many years.
In an effort to resolve these issues, Azerbaijan has shown
considerable tolerance towards Armenia, offering proposals that
would benefit both the Azerbaijani and Armenian people. However,
Armenian officials merely make verbal calls for peace, ignoring
these proposals and failing to take concrete steps.
Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, Alen Simonyan, following
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's path, has made seemingly peaceful
statements. During an interview, Simonyan acknowledged that
Azerbaijan's military operation in Garabagh was conducted in
accordance with the four UN resolutions that have been ignored by
Yerevan for 30 years.
He also provided insight into Armenia's defeat in the Second
Garabagh War:
"During the Second Garabakh War, we [Armenia] were deeply
disappointed because the world did not respond the way we expected.
One reason for this was the lack of legitimacy on our side."
Simonyan admitted that Armenian officials have begun to accept
the truth:
"It's encouraging to see Armenian officials acknowledging what
Azerbaijan has been saying all along. Everything Azerbaijan did to
restore its territorial integrity and sovereignty fully aligned
with international law," he added.
Interestingly, in April this year, Pashinyan's agreement to
return four villages to Azerbaijan caused uproar in the Armenian
parliament, with many officials opposing the decision. Protests
against this move further complicated the situation. Although
Simonyan supported Pashinyan at the time, his latest statements
reflect a direct admission of Armenia's role as the aggressor.
Simonyan's remarks reveal the true stance of Armenian society.
Agreeing with Azerbaijan's military actions based on UN resolutions
was an unexpected move from Armenia and answers many lingering
questions. It seems Armenian politicians continue their strategy of
“peace in the foreground, provocation in the background.” This
duplicity was evident during the meeting of foreign ministers in
Istanbul, where Armenia's hollow promises and double-dealing
rhetoric persisted.
Despite rejecting Azerbaijan's peace proposals multiple times,
Armenia stubbornly refuses to sign a peace agreement. Even after
Baku adjusted its demands, excluding the opening of the Zangazur
Corridor from the peace deal, Yerevan remains unwilling to commit
to peace. Pashinyan's administration hides behind false promises,
pretending to be ready for peace, but in reality, it follows a
policy of hypocrisy.
The truth is that Armenia's constitution still contains explicit
territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Pashinyan insists he does
not adhere to these constitutional provisions, but it remains
unclear whether he intends to guarantee future Armenian leaders
will do the same. Does Pashinyan assume he will remain in power
indefinitely, or will he leave unresolved issues for his
successors?
Naturally, Azerbaijan is unwilling to sign a peace treaty with a
state whose constitution includes territorial claims against the
other state. There is a real possibility that a future Armenian
leader could invoke this constitution to mobilise the population
and military for another conflict. Armenia's pattern of broken
promises and dual strategies is a recurring problem in the region.
Violations of the ceasefire near Azerbaijan's borders-before
President Ilham Aliyev's inauguration ceremony, after the foreign
ministers' meeting in Almaty, and following even Pashinyan's peace
declarations-are telling examples of this behaviour.
Armenia is now trying to present itself as innocent and
peaceful, hoping to portray Azerbaijan as the obstacle to peace.
However, Azerbaijan refuses to fall for this cunning plan. If
Armenia truly desires the peace it claims to seek, it must take
meaningful steps. Empty promises to the media will not bring peace
or help Armenia avoid meeting Azerbaijan's legitimate demands.
Following Simonyan's admissions, Yerevan must make crucial
decisions regarding its constitution, the fate of nearly 4,000
missing Azerbaijanis, and the maps of landmines haphazardly planted
in Garabagh. Without concrete actions, Armenia will struggle to
achieve everlasting peace or build trust with Azerbaijan.
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