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Qabil Ashirov

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By collaborating with Armenian politicians, the members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) gradually get infected with Armenian diseases, i.e., they become devoid of character and lose their faces. Reading the resolution adopted by PACE on June 22, some could conclude that not PACE but the Armenian Parliament adopted the resolution. Because it is biased and pro-Armenian, moreover, the items are Armenian-style, more precisely, are hypocritic.

PACE should respect itself. On the one hand, recognizing Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, on the other hand, using toponyms coined by separatists is not an esteem-earning feature. We recall that the status of Nagorno-Karabakh was abolished long ago; and there is no Lachin corridor, but Lachin-Khankendi road; there is no Khankendi/Stepanakert, but Khankendi.

The content of the biased resolution with not limited only to such disrespect against Azerbaijan. It is also comprised of covert accusations as if Azerbaijan blockades Khankendi. However, it does not mention that the Azerbaijani leadership keeps reiterating that compactly-settled Armenian minorities in Karabakh are Azerbaijan's citizens. So, blockading Karabakh is out of the question. In addition, pursuant to the 9 November statement, Azerbaijan allowed Armenians to use the Lachin-Khankendi road under the supervision of Russian Peacekeepers. Unfortunately, the Armenian side misused Azerbaijan's goodwill and transported military equipment and military personnel in guise of civilians through the road for arming the Armenian separatists in Karabakh. They made provocations by attacking the Azerbaijani servicemen and planting landmines in the Azerbaijani territories. Due to these provocations, tens of Azerbaijani citizens lost their lives. The Armenian side has left Azerbaijan with no choice but to establish a border checkpoint in the entrance of Lachin-Khankendi road.

As for the alleged humanitarian tragedy in Karabakh, it proved to be a fairy tale. All media outlets broadcast that all vehicles move freely on the roads. In addition, Russian peacekeepers repeated several times that the vehicles move freely and they provide Khankendi with needed medicaments and foods as well. This process continued until the provocation made by Armenians on June 15 which an Azerbaijani serviceman was wounded. Following the incident, Azerbaijan announced a new investigation into the issue, during which the operation of the checkpoint was suspended. As usual, without taking away the essence of the event, the Armenian authorities express a negative attitude to the events and even supposedly call this event a process of ethnic cleansing.

However, interpreting the closure of the checkpoint as a blockade foreshadows the covert intentions. Since the Armenian minorities are Azerbaijan’s citizens, they can trade with other Azerbaijani regions, they can send the ill-people to Ganja or Baku instead of Yerevan.

Besides, Armenia should bear in mind that it also took the commitment to unblock all communications and allow Azerbaijan to reach Nakhchivan as stipulated in the 9 November Statement. However, Armenia has not complied with its commitments so far. It is surprising that PACE recalls only Azerbaijan, not Armenia, to stick to articles of the Statement of November 9.

Furthermore, as is known that Armenia kept the 20 percent of Azerbaijan's lands for 30 years under the occupation, and the UN adopted four resolutions against Armenia to withdraw its armed groups and to return the lands immediately. Armenia defied the resolutions. Turning a blind eye to Armenian then-crimes, PACE calls on "Azerbaijan to promptly implement the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the International Court of Justice" now.

Uttering the concern about the ethnic cleansing in the region reminds of crocodile tears. The region was subjected to one of the biggest and most tragic ethnic cleansings in 20 century 30 years ago and Armenia committed this ethnic cleansing as a result of which hundreds of Azerbaijanis were killed, raped and looted. Besides, the crimes committed by Armenians made the polyethnic Armenia and Karabakh to turn into monoethnic regions. The same PACE had all means to punish Armenia to refrain from committing these crimes, but they preferred to stay aside.

Today PACE appeases Azerbaijan to invite rapporteurs to the region for fact-finding, but where were these rapporteurs 30 years ago? What have done to restore peace and bring justice? If they failed over 30 years and we were obliged to restore justice with our blood, why do we need them now?

Calling on Azerbaijan “to restore electricity and gas supplies without delay or impediment, and to agree with Armenians a new route for gas supplies and the electricity grid through Armenian and not Azerbaijani territory” is another comedy. Given that Azerbaijan is energy exporter country, it is ridiculous say even Azerbaijan’s citizens in Karabakh connect with neighbor country’s gas and electric power grids.

PACE should take a stand and we must make clear with whom we are dealing. Azerbaijan has right to know whether PACE is friend of Azerbaijan or not. With such hypocritic policies, PACE loses its reputation and becomes an unreliable organization. Everyone should know that neither PACE, nor Armenia will be able to carve out Karabakh from Azerbaijan with the help of such covert intrigues.

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