We Deal with a Breed Deprived of Simplest Rules and Consciousness, Defending from which is our Duty: Tigran Mansurian

168.am talked to Tigran Mansurian, world-famous composer, on instigated war condition on Nagorno Karabakh—Azerbaijan Line of Contact.

–Maestro do you follow recent news?

–I follow different sources all the time.

– Does news from the front inspire or bother you?

–I want to believe that this again shocked us, and this shock will be useful to us, to unite again and to become an integrity. This need has been existent before. I don’t say and I don’t consider that this consolidation may generate only in such a case, I don’t insist, but the time has come for high unification of our nation, for which I’m very glad. Surely, despite the way and details we speak of these disastrous and tragic developments, first and foremost, we should bow before Armenian soldiers killed by the adversary, and beg for consolation of God for the mourning families, where terrible human losses have been recorded. Only after deep comprehension I may do any judgements regarding the fighting.

– And although for our unification, as per yesterday we paid 7 tanks, 20 casualties, 26 missing in action, 72 wounded soldiers and servicemen, however, we have considerable achievements as well.

–This doesn’t speak of what we paid for that unification, but of the fact, that it was unexpected to us.

– Didn’t we expect that our enemy was under our noses?

–However, we didn’t expect, as life has taught me, that likewise military operations aren’t decided in one room, neither in two. I don’t know who, were, or whose interests clash with these military operations, I don’t know.

–If we turn to the direct enemy—Azerbaijan, what does, in the end, it want to prove by this war, attempting to introduce us to the world as an “occupant” state?

–We liberated our lands, but its roots are hidden in the Soviet period, when, nobody knows why, Nakhchivan and Artsakh became Azerbaijan’s autonomous region. This was inexplicable, yet in those years. The issue is, historical fragments on permanent existence of expansionist policy by Azerbaijan before were existent as well.

–Director Hrant Vardanyan in an interview with 168.am made an observation yesterday, that it’s difficult to live with an open nerve for years, meaning those, living in Artsakh throughout the last 30 years.

–Sure, we can’t but admire them from this standpoint. Present-day the most tranquil, confident and balanced element are the people of Artsakh. This is the case, when physical destruction isn’t a solution to the question. Together with them, we are ready to resist till the end, but this issue should have its true and righteous settlement.

–What fair solution to this issue do you see?

–I consider, solution has already been provided, it needs to finally legalize it, by recognizing Artsakh’s independence.

–You know, Sargsyan appeared with a likewise statement, “Armenia recognizes the independence of Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the case of expansion of military actions by Azerbaijan”?

– As I’m not aware of international jurisprudence and I don’t know how independence is established, and who has the right to declare on it, and who—not, what grounds the declared country should have, I can’t discuss the issue, but if the time has come, the president knows that he has legal base to make such statements and this is a very good opportunity for us, and we reached to a certainly crucial point, that one of the implications of this war may be recognition of Artsakh’s independence for us.

–How do you comment reflection of the international community on instigated military actions?

– In a dual form. During the years, when we were in intense war, the international community seemed not to be interest in us, but we finally and clearly implemented our program in those years. As a result, the accord on ceasefire was reached, initiated by Aliyev Junior. Sure, I can’t but resent, when the USA, Russia, France, Canada, UNO and other countries and their heads call for sobriety, to suspend the fighting. But…on the other hand, I don’t know who to prefer, being far from public attention, recording success, or the type of attention, that a difference isn’t made of the aggressor and our army, that restrains it. What may I expect from them, what to rejoice with, that they are able to speak, or my pain reached them? I don’t know…Diplomacy knows speaking, and saying proper words. Hopefully, that speech will obtain its clear practical implementation.

–Maestro, how do you assess reflection of the Diaspora these days?

–The Diaspora is our inseparable part, and not even a part, we are the same body. It may raise its adopted power to France, Greece, the USA, and this is one of our power-making and crucial components. However, events are developing in such a lightning speed, that shift from sensitive field to the practical one, in fact, isn’t an easy thing under likewise situations.

–To your mind, will this turn into a long and wide-scale war or will remain and end, as a lightning war?

–I consider, it’ll remain as a lightning war. Anyway, I have known Azerbaijani political experts recently, who were calling on their authorities to a lightning war, considering it the the best way to settle Artsakh issue in favor of them. In their opinion, this is a matter of a few hours only. With such moods and appetite they instigate themselves. However, I repeat, resolution of implementation of likewise programs isn’t made in one or two rooms. In any case, this is a full-fledged moment against the background of Turkey-USA relations, Turkey-Azerbaijan brotherhood, and already Russia-Turkey war.

–The Ministry of Defense is officially announcing names our victims, but we have recorded success as well. I want to pass on your expectations to our readers.

–I strongly believe in our spirit of victory, not because destiny repeatedly taught us pass form victory to victory, and we are obliged to show gestures of glory laurels from generation to generation…not at all, simply there is no way out. We should finally settle this issue, and Artsakh should be liberated and independent. For this we need our own victory, showing our enemy its right place. I know, I know for sure that we have servicemen with brilliant military knowledge, we have powerful military equipment, we have an army, a powerful one, and national spirit of victory. Look, war lasted just  a few hours on border, and we immediately became one fist, one body and one spirit, accordingly, that power is in us.

I admire militants of older generation, who provided today’s victory years ago, and currently they also go to stand a step forward to our 18 year-old soldiers. I admire with those men and I have no doubt that or program will have a successful ending. I also have no doubt that in the end of this, international document confirming Artsakh’s independence will be in our hands. In the years of Artsakh liberation, when we were involved in the war, we weren’t the instigators, weren’t we? We were the defending side. This time again, we didn’t initiate it. So, if there is a neutral zone, which should provide our peaceful life, it should see and understand that we’re not safe without those territories.

We deal with a breed, a phenomenon deprived of any elementary and simplest civilization rules and consciousness, which axed a sleeping young man, and its nation declares him a hero…it’s our duty to protect ourselves from them, and the international community, surely, should understand this. By attacking for the second time, Azerbaijan made us take a weapon and protect Karabakh not only as a military victory, but as a diplomatic achievement as well. Against the background of resumption of war by Azerbaijan, program of Artsakh’s independence obtained more than stable grounding these days.

By Nvard Manvelyan