BAKU (RFE/RL)–Reacting to the signing of a new Russian-Armenian defense agreement, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s chief foreign policy aide has claimed that both Russia and the West support Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“Giving such big support to an occupying country contradicts international legal norms and principles,” Novruz Mammadov told the APA news agency in an interview late on Thursday. “It is not very difficult to understand the essence of such overt support for such a state.”
Mammadov said that by prolonging and upgrading its military presence in Armenia with that agreement Russia called into question its stated neutrality toward the Karabakh dispute. “With such statements and such support, it’s difficult to be an objective mediator,” he said.
Armenian officials say that the new defense pact, which also commits the Russians to supplying its regional ally with modern weaponry, will discourage Azerbaijan from attempting to resolve the dispute by force. Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service this week that Russian troops could openly support Armenia in case of renewed fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“I don’t think that the signing of such an agreement between Russia and Armenia and a greater modernization of the local [Russian military] base will pose a threat only to Azerbaijan,” Mammadov said, commenting on these statements. “If the Armenian side thinks that Nagorno-Karabakh belongs to it, then it’s a big mistake.”
“If Armenia wants to draw Russia into a war in Nagorno-Karabakh, then it’s another big mistake,” he added.
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry rejected Ohanian’s remarks as “laughable” by “This agreement is between two states, it is up to them. But this protocol cannot hinder or stop the Azerbaijani Army,” ministry spokesman Eldar Sabiroglu told ANS television on Thursday.
According to RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani service, Sabiroglu also said Azerbaijan has no choice but to upgrade its armed forces by acquiring new weaponry.
Mammadov, who heads the foreign relations department at Aliyev’s administration, also hit out at the United States and other Western powers. “One of the results of my calculations and observations is that the West and Europe … have channeled all their efforts into rendering support and assistance to the occupier Armenia in a regular, systemic manner,” he said.
The Azerbaijani official claimed in that context that the West organized an upcoming NATO disaster relief exercise in Armenia in order to force Turkey to open the Turkish-Armenian border. “They thus want to once again pit Turkey against Azerbaijan,” he said.
Stupid mongol. They lost the war with more troops and superior weaponry the first time what makes them think they will win the second time.
Haha the West is Pro Armenian? Try America and Israel have always taken Turkey and Azerbaijans interests BEFORE Armenias.
Dear Azerbaijan, where do you get your weapons from?
Karabakh never belong to azerbaijan(tatars), during stalin time (with some conspiracy)administration of karabakh given to soviet azerbaijan which Armenian never agreed, Now what is the bumbling of azeris
Karabakh belongs to right full owners of this land Armenian’s, you should forget about it and get along,
Funny, when it comes to Armenia, Turks accuse Russia for being pro-Armenian, Armenians accuse Russia for being pro-Turk…
Turks and Azeris are the same people firstly, and their seriously annoying bad attitude is because they think they are the kings of everything ! thats why as an armenian their attitude annoys me seriously and i would like to see armenia devastate azerbaijan and try to get through their thick brains how to think clearly and be more tamed. the only way to teach these animals is to treat them like animals .
Ultimately, the only way to deal with these people is for Armenians to rely on themselves. Armenia has to develop its own technologies in weapons and armament. Unlike those countries around us, the Armenian race can produce an Artem Mikoyan at any given time.
Per the Azeris claim of occupation, hey, I got a solution. We swap. Give us back Van and 500 miles, from top to bottom, west of Ararat so that we properly bury the millions you murdered. Give us access to the sea and then I’ll be glad to make an arrangement. I think that is a very generous exchange considering.
The Great Ottman Empire at it’s hight of power could not maintain complete control of Artsakh. These people are born to be free and know how to fight for it. What is laughable is Azerbaijan dreeming of owning Artsakh. It is a very VERY costly mistake, which these band of barbarians will learn the hard way. Any attempt to capture the freedom loving people of Artsakh will be met with swift retaliation which would distroy Azerbaijan from within. This new State of Azerbaijan can not bully an ainsiant country with 12000 year history. They don’t have the intelligence to know their enemy. Wake up Azerbaijan you are naighbours with a great country, forget about your megalomaniac dreams, Oil is not the answer to everything, put down your guns and give civilisation a try, you may like it.
Azeries you are living in a dreem , you think that Turkey is going to help you take gharabakh back
Ilham Alieve if you are a true Azerie , you would help your people resettle in your land not on Armenian land
gharabakh is Armenian land , and you can not have it , it was under your gurisdiction during the soviet union
but now their is no Soviet Union so go back to your Tatar land and stay there.
Artsakh-Karabagh has been & will be Armenian for thousands of years & for thousands of years to come.Corrupt Aliyev & his Nakhichevan clan including this Mammadov can only cry & shout to stay in power & continue on milking the poor Azeris & meanwhile they become richer & much richer.Aliyev & this corrupt clan are sucking the blood of the Azeri people & to cover their thefts they cry war.First thing will be hit their pipelines & resources…the first thing…& hopefully this will be the downfall of Aliyev & his corrupt family & clan.
My Dear Azeri friend, Novruz.
Take this as simply a proposal from me, a postulation if you will.
Having born and lived in an Islamic country all my life, I have observed that unlike non-Muslims, Muslims do not allow themselves to be criticized. The result is a distorted world, imagined wrongs from non-Muslims against Muslims and a seething hatred towards them. Sounds familiar?
Ask yourself, Is there any reason why Muslims would be in conflict with every one of their non-Muslim neighbors, when all they have done throughout their history is relentlessly attack, conquer, enslave, subjugate and loot other people? What wrongs others have done that is not exceeded by the wrongs that Muslims have done against them?
Please look at yourself in the mirror for once just like all non-Muslims do, before vilifying others with wrongs that pale in comparison by the wrongs you have done to every non-Muslim people in the world.
Funny when it comes to the Azeri tribe they accuse the US,they accuse the Russians,they think they are entitled to any land they can steal and use Turkish earthquake photos to lie about loosing what never belonged to them in the first place.
Desperate words from a desperate man!!!!! May your desperation last for ever!!!!
I sent a comment yesterday but it didn’t go through yet?
In the aspiration of peace, it is unthinkable to supply another nation with arms to be able to fight of another nation foe. Instead of stepping in to stop the feud the action taken is to arm the combatants and stand back. Recipe for bloodshed.