On 21 February, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry responded to the statement of Armenia’s Foreign Ministry on the occasion of the so-called “Nagorno-Karabakh Revival Day.”
“Armenia's support for aggressive Armenian separatists and the latter's open territorial claims and aggressive policies against Azerbaijan have led to decades of military occupation, bloody ethnic cleansing, violations of the fundamental rights of one million people and devastation. This situation has seriously hampered the region's sustainable development, peace, security and progress for many years. At a time when international law has been established, the occupation factor has been eliminated and an agreement has been reached to end military operations, Yerevan's [official] statements that have once again provoked international discord are an indication of the destructive thinking of the Armenian leadership. This approach has no future and is nothing more than leading the Armenian people into the abyss,” the Azerbaijani MFA stressed.
To note, Armenia’s MFA stated the following: “On 20 February 1988, the Council of People's Deputies of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast made a historic decision to peacefully strive for the realisation of the right of the Karabakh Armenians to self-determination. This decision came as result of arbitrary decrees on the status of Karabakh at the sovietisation period of the region, the Azerbaijani SSR authorities’ decades-long policy of ethnic discrimination against the Armenian people, oppression of the Armenian identity, distortion of the Armenian historical and cultural heritage and deliberate policy of changing the demographic situation in Karabakh, which was openly admitted by the high-level leadership of Azerbaijan at different periods.”
This was not the only controversy regarding the event held in Stepanakert/Khankandi on 20 February, as reports emerged showing Russian peacekeepers participating in the march through the city. Photos were circulating through Facebook, allegedly showing a Russian military priest, who walked along with the de facto leadership of the Nagorno-Karabakh - Arayik Harutyunyan and Vitaly Balasanyan on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of the beginning of the movement. According to the available unofficial information, the dissatisfaction of official Baku was brought to the attention of the Russian leadership. The same sources report about the protest of the Azerbaijani side accepted for consideration by the command of the peacekeepers. In the next 2-3 days, this priest will be removed from territory.
In an interview with Russian news agency RIA Novosti Armenia’s Defence Minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan spoke of a potential expansion of Russia’s military presence in the country, particularly at strengthening of the 102nd Russian military base stationed in Armenia's Gyumri region. “The Armenian side has always been interested in the base's expansion and strengthening because it is part of the Joint Russian-Armenian Military Force. Therefore, the expansion of the base's capabilities automatically entails a build-up of the potential of the joint military forces, which act in the Caucasus region of collective security,” he said.
According to Harutyunyan, the Russian military leadership took into account the existing military-political realities in the region and made the right steps towards strengthening and re-equipping the base. He expressed confidence that this process will be long-term. Armenia's Defence Minister said also that Yerevan and Moscow were studying the possibility of redeploying part of the 102nd military base to the east of Armenia. In addition, in his words, the Russian border guards in Armenia were entrusted with additional functions to ensure the security and protection of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. He also said that a reform of Armenia's armed forces is already underway with Russian colleagues being directly involved in this process. According to him, the main efforts will be directed to the development of control systems, intelligence, electronic warfare, air defence and unmanned aircraft, missile forces and artillery.
Harutyunyan also met with the EU's Special Representative for the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar. The Ministry of Defence said the head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Victorin also was in attendance. Harutyunyan stressed at the meeting that Azerbaijan did not fulfil the provisions of the 8th point of the statement on the return of prisoners of war and other detainees and uses this process for political purposes to exert additional pressure on Armenia.
