Hasmik Martirosyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Speaking at the Buta Palace in Baku on the occasion of the Republic Day, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared: “We will not allow the second Armenian state to be established on our territories.” The meaning of the statement is unclear to NKR President’s Spokesman David Babayan.
“There are two republics –the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh. Perhaps, the Azerbaijani President thinks another Armenian state should be established on the territory of today’s Republic of Azerbaijan. I don’t understand the logic. If he speaks about Artsakh, “the train is off,’ and with this statement Ilham Aliyev only discredits himself,” David Babayan told Public Radio of Armenia.
This night the Azerbaijani side undertook a new act of sabotage, which claimed the life of one Armenian and two Azeri soldiers. David Babayan views any subversive act by Azerbaijan as an attempt to divert the attention of the domestic audience from social problems and notes that the attacks destabilize the situation without resulting in the change of positions from the military point of view.
“These steps do not change anything from military perspective. They only destabilize the situation, causing harm to the negotiation process. Such attacks are usually organized on festive days, before the visits of the Co-Chairs. They pursue the aim of gaining dividends and diverting the attention of the people from domestic problems,” he said.
OSCE Chairman-in-Office Didier Burkhalter will visit the region in early June. According to David Babayan, it’s a traditional visit, and the expectations are practical. “Such contacts are useful for maintaining peace and stability, but there are no particular expectations,” he said.
