His Holiness’ visit to Armenia will bring also a message of peace to the whole region of South Caucasus still suffering from deadly military provocations by Azerbaijan and anti-Armenian hate and intolerance dominating in that country. While Presidents of Armenia and Russia, are trying to deliver the opinion of the international community and explaining President Aliev right now in Saint-Petersburg that war is an option for Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, I hope that the ordinary people of Azerbaijan, including our beautiful colleague Pashaeva, will keep their ears open to the voice of Pope Francis and millions of faithful human beings in Armenia praying for peace, hope and love in the coming days to listen a simple message that ‘darkness cannot drive out darkness and hate cannot drive out hate.’
During the meeting with Putin Serzh Sargsyan particularly thanked the Russian side for mediative efforts in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and confirmed, that Armenia hopes to settle NK conflict excusively through peaceful means.
“The conflict has been postponed, as Russia and other Co-chairs of OSCE Minsk Group stated, status quo is not acceptable, we completely support that statement,” Aliyev told during the meeting with Vladimir Putin, RF president.
“Unfortunately, such conflicts are never settled at the wish of one party. We would be glad if we managed to make progress today towards the implementation of the agreements that we have achieved, in other words, to create mechanisms of investigating ceasefire violations. This would create a good working climate for talks,” Sargsyan said.
Interview of Serzh Sargsyan in the airport prior to the meeting with Aliyev
“ Aram Ateshian had a classmate—Manuel Yerkatian, they became deacons together. When Father Manuel Yerkatian came to Constantinople to take pupils with him, Father Manuel was arrested by Turkish authorities. He was charged for being a member to terror organization of Armenian armed struggle, as if he named his dog a “Turk.”
The investigation revealed that one of the detainees, Jirair Sefilian had come to an agreement with an armed group to take over buildings, important structures and means of communication, including Yerevan TV Tower. For that purpose, they purchased illegal weapons and ammunition and hid them in different places. Moreover, some members of the group had planned to carry out criminal actions during the four-day war in early April.
“I told long ago, that I don’t imagine settlement, and such conflicts are being extended and not settled for dozens of years. This is one of those conflicts. The four-day war clarified the existent threat around Karabakh, which needs to be neutralized. I think Co-chairs and the sides will attempt to do this,” he noticed. In his words, Russia is pursuing its own policy in Karabakh and between the conflicting countries, with which they may either agree or not.”
According to the agreement, if necessary, united air defense system will provide the opportunity to apply not only 4th generation multi-purpose Mig-29 fighter aircraft, U-300 zenith rocket system, but also all contemporary means and armaments of air and missile defense of destructive aviation of 102nd base, available in the arsenal of RF Armed Forces and aerospace troops. It’s planned that radar intelligence capabilities will be extended as well, space intelligence resources will be involved, and the Armenian side will have the opportunity to make use of data obtained from RF Armed Forces aerospace means.
“What was agreed in Vienna, is of crucial importance, without it it’s impossible to touch upon any progress in negotiations,” Shavarsh Kocharyan, RA Deputy Foreign Minister, told reporters today at the National Assembly, touching upon Ilham Aliyev-Serzh Sargsyan meeting to be held in Russia on June 20.
