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Qabil Ashirov

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When hearing Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's last speech some could conclude that he is infected by the famous Armenian diseases, making up a myth and believing in it. There is no other way to explain what he said in his speech. Take up the claim of ethnic cleansing from Garabagh for example. It seems that either he forgot the history of the Garabagh conflict or wraps the world into his little finger. If he has really forgotten the history of the Garabagh conflict, we advise him to read, at least, Thomas de Waal's book, titled Black Garden.

It is well known, and also the book of Thomas De Waal confirms it, that the Garabagh conflict did not emerge spontaneously among the Armenian-born citizens of the former Soviet Azerbaijani residing in Garabagh, as the Armenian state and their mouthpieces living abroad claim. The Garabagh conflict is a result of the operation of the former Soviet Armenian KGB which started in the 1960s. The people who gave interviews with Thomas de Waal, such as Igor Muradyan and others voluntarily admit it. They reveal how got contacted Armenian terror organizations living without the Soviet Union and got material assistance and weapons from them. One of the interviewees confirms that most of Armenians in Garabagh were armed and waited for the proper time to uprising. They got such an opportunity with Mikhail Gorbachev's accession to power.

However, they were not hasty. At first, they planned to get rid of Azerbaijani-born and Kurdish-born Armenian citizens, because they were afraid that they plan in Garabagh could have mirror effect in Zangazur and Irevan. More precisely, Muslim Azerbaijanis and Kurds could claim unification with Azerbaijan. Therefore, at the end of 1987, Armenians stacked Azerbaijanis and Kurds into cattle wagons and expelled from Soviet Armenia to Azerbaijan. The process finished in February 1988 and after several days, the Armenian ethnicity living in Garabagh started protests and claimed that ostensibly they had been encountering discrimination and poverty. Armenians did not limit to the ethnic cleansing in Armenia. They reiterated the same crimes in Garabagh and adjacent districts by expelling locals from their hometowns.

Armenians who committed ethnic cleansing in Armenia and Garabagh, today accuse Azerbaijan of the same crimes. However, Azerbaijan is far away from such kind of concepts. First of all, it is worth noting that over 30K Armenians have been living in Azerbaijan. Even during the war, nobody expelled them. Baku has always said that all Garabagh Armenians could live in Azerbaijan by taking Azerbaijani passports.

Secondly, in compliance with the provisions of the 10 November declaration, Azerbaijan has not asked Russian peacekeepers to leave the country. Because Azerbaijan intends to create all proper conditions and environments for Armenia to live in Garabagh. Despite all attempts, Armenians voluntarily left Garabagh for Armenia. Even, Russian Deputy foreign minister confirmed it and emphasized that Armenian left Garabagh voluntarily.

However, unlike Azerbaijan, Armenia does not intend to fulfill all obligations which they undertook. Keeping the Zangazur corridor closed, one of the 10 November Statement, is exemplified. So, Pashinyan’s accusation on ethnic cleansing in an interview with the Telegram is unfounded.

As for, Pashinyan's claims about Azerbaijan evading signing a peace treaty, they are unfounded as well. Just, looking through the Armenian defense activity is enough to understand that Yerevan is killing time to prepare for the new war. The country has doubled its defense budget for three years. They purchase sophisticated weapons from India, France and other countries. It is crystal clear that Azerbaijan will never attack Armenia. First up, Azerbaijan does not have an expansionist foreign policy, secondly, Armenia is a member of CSTO and attacking Armenia means to declare the war to Russia. So, the war is out of question. Then, why does Yerevan need to purchase new weapons? The answer is obvious, Armenia prepares for the third war.

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Qabil Ashirov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @g_Ashirov

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