„If there is Artsakh, regardless of its condition, then there is also the issue of Artsakh“. Davit Babayan
“It is clear to everyone that there is an issue of Artsakh, but I must repeat again that we should not be guided by toasts. It is enough, and we are tired of those toasts and slogans. Who does not know that we must be strong, but who should strengthen the country, how should we become stronger? These are all questions. Therefore, to become stronger, we have take concrete steps in that direction, to create a normal country, to have a united society, great patriotism, pro-state. Only by this, we can get out of this situation in some way. Our biggest problem today is the lack of a pro-state mentality which is still at an unsufficient level. We are talking not only about the political elites, but also about the wider society which must be educated, brought up, we must be guided by our national value system.
This is not a matter of one or two years since a normal political field must be created, the society must form its value system, revive what was once ours,”said Advisor on Foreign Relations of the President of the Artsakh Republic Davit Babayan in a conversation with 168.am.
As for the negotiation process, Davit Babayan is convinced that it has been frozen for several years.
“I am convinced that the negotiation process has been frozen for 5-10 years. And now, what should have been negotiated, what we should have negotiated about, it is all gone. Do you see what the situation is now? What should they negotiate about after this? Now the Russian peacekeepers have come, in fact, they maintain peace and stability, they saved Artsakh from genocide. They had to negotiate in time, there were a thousand and one issues that could be discussed. “Now we must understand that the negotiation process has entered another stage, we must revive,” Davit Babayan stressed.
To the question of whether the format of the talks will change, whether the Minsk Group will remain in charge or whether another format comes to force instead, in particular, where Turkey could sit at the negotiating table, Davit Babayan answered that there will be the OSCE Minsk Group, but it is not ruled out that other dimensions can be created as well.
“Turkey has already become a player in the region, if we want it or not.” Now little depends on what we want, especially what Artsakh wants, until we leave the „emergency ward“… And, very little already depends on Armenia. Now, global and regional processes are in force. Even dimensional measurements can be created not only in connection with Artsakh, but also with the developments in the Caucasus, for example, Russia-Armenia-Iran, Russia-Azerbaijan-Turkey, etc. “In my opinion, there is a high probability that the Minsk Group will be preserved, because this is already a global dimension, which was formed with the participation of Russia, France and the United States,” Davit Babayan added.
As for the fears that in the current situation Artsakh may suddenly become part of Azerbaijan, Davit Babayan noted that there are players who want such a thing to happen, Artsakh to be included in Azerbaijan. But it all depends on the Armenian side, on what policy it will pursue.
“Everything depends on whether we will be able to recover, will we finally be able to create a society that can become a subject of geopolitics. Unfortunately, now we have a loss of our ability tob e a subject. We have become more of an object. If we behave like that, no one will even ask our opinion. That is why we must do our best in order to be able to revive, to avoid entering into various geopolitical games as much as possible. We have to refrain from the hostility provoked inside the country. In short, prophets must come to the political field, if prophets do not come, nothing good will happen,” Davit Babayan concluded.
It should be reminded that on November 10, the official text of the statement of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, the Presidents of the Russian Federation and Azerbaijan was published, which ends the war unleashed by Azerbaijan in Artsakh. The agreement on the end of the war and the ceasefire states that the two warring parties will stand in the positions where they stand. Armenia will return Karvachar to Azerbaijan by November 15 and Berdzor region by December 1, leaving a 5 km wide corridor to provide Armenia with a connection, but it will not touch Shushi. Russian peacekeepers will be deployed in Artsakh. Then, with the mediation of Russia, the extradition of Karvachar was extended for 10 days, until November 25. On November 25, the birthday of Monte Melkonyan, the liberator of Karvachar, the Armenian troops were withdrawn from there.
As a result of the trilateral agreement, all economic and transport ties in the region will be unblocked. The Republic of Armenia guarantees the security of transport relations between the western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan, “Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic”, in order to organize the unimpeded movement of citizens, vehicles and goods in both directions. There is another case of prisoners of war, hostages being held.
