Tokyo, 07 March, /AJMEDIA/
The title of the article means: Who is holding captive the approximately 20,000 Armenians living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan? Whose interests does it serve to keep Azerbaijan`s Karabakh region closed area and out of control? The answer is very definite and clear – this situation does not serve the interests of Azerbaijan and therefore the Armenian minority living there.
Environmental protests of various NGOs of Azerbaijan on the Lachin-Khankendi road has been going on since 12 December 2022. What caused these NGOs to take action and continue their actions for more than two months without interruption? The fact that the gold, copper and other precious metal deposits in the regions where the temporary Russian peacekeeping force is located are operated by mafiatic groups in violation of the laws of Azerbaijan, causing enormous damage to the nature has mobilized NGOs. In addition, before December 12, 2022, the necessary inspection attempts of the officials of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan were prevented by the gangs in Karabakh in front of the temporary Russian peacekeeping force.
With the 44-day Patriotic War in 2020, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces ended the occupation of Armenia. In line with the Declaration dated 10 November 2020 signed between the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Russian Federation and Armenia, and with the humanitarian gesture of Azerbaijan, a temporary Russian peacekeeping force was deployed in the region of the Armenian minority living in the Karabakh region of our country. The reason why Azerbaijan made this possible was the hopes for the establishment of an atmosphere of confidence in line with the integration of the Armenians living in the Karabakh region, like the minorities living in other regions of Azerbaijan, to the whole country.
However, it was not foreseen that the opportunity offered by Azerbaijan to keep the Lachin-Khankendi road open as a goodwill and humanitarian gesture would be abused. Many provisions of the Declaration dated 10 November 2020 have not been fulfilled by Armenia to date. On the contrary, the goodwill and humanitarian gesture of Azerbaijan have been abused; weapons and mines were smuggled to Karabakh, where the temporary Russian peacekeeping force was located, from Armenia; illegal armed groups there haven`t left Azerbaijan; extremist and racist separatist groups were encouraged and reinvigorated; the Armenian minority there was held captive by the separatists; the mafiatic figure of Armenian origin Ruben Vardanyan, who was mysteriously enriched and “raised” to the level of “oligarch” in Russia, was appointed by Moscow and exported/smuggled to the said region. This dark person was first appointed as the so-called “state minister” of the so-called “government”, and finally his so-called “official duty” was terminated. It is unclear whether this mafia leader will be “reassigned” or not. The number of dark persons who illegally entered and exited the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan is very high. So Ruben Vardanyan is just one of them. Detailed information on which countries’ terrorist trainers entered and exited the Karabakh region during the last 27 months and for what purpose they were there is available in the relevant intelligence agencies of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Some of this information is also disclosed at various intervals.
Azerbaijan is following all these patiently and is making an effort to follow diplomatic paths for the sake of peace in the region. But this patience is not unlimited…
The regions of Azerbaijan, which were under the occupation of Armenia in violation of international law for almost 30 years, naturally remained outside the control of the state of the Republic of Azerbaijan until 2020. This situation created a highly desirable environment for transnational criminal organizations in these regions. The lack of control of the state and relevant international institutions allowed many serious crimes, especially narcotic production, storage and money laundering, to be veiled easily. The illegal use of underground and aboveground resources of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan for nearly 30 years by mafiatic groups under the control of various states was a major problem in itself.
If we relate the abovementioned facts, the Republic of Azerbaijan will never allow the creation of a new “closed dark territory” within itself. The actions of NGOs have never created a blockade for anyone. The fact that there has been free passage vehicular traffic there for the past two months clearly demonstrates this. The fact that the gang leaders Ruben Vardanyan and Arayik Arutyunyan easily go back and forth on the route Hankendi-Yerevan-Moscow reveals how far from sincerity the discourse of victimization on behalf of the Armenian minority.
Armenia, which has lost thousands of its soldiers and whose army has fallen into a ridiculous position, knows the best what happened when Azerbaijan`s patience ran out…
Dr. Elsevar Salmanov
