Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

An Azerbaijani parliament member has commented on the United Nations data about nearly 7,000 children living in inhuman conditions in Armenia, saying a bleak future is in store for the country, which is suffering from political, economic and social crisis, Azerbaijan's Day. az website reported.

Fazayil Agamaly is confident that the specified number of children living in deplorable conditions in Armenia is inaccurate, as the population's poverty level, in fact, amounts to a staggering 60 percent.

"Orphan childrenin Armenia are in dire straights, they have a gruesome past and no future," Agamaly said.

"Nowadays, Armenia is haunted not only by a serious political and military crisis, but at the same time it is suffering from a dire economic and social situation."

Agamaly considers that the UN data confirms the already known: the situation in Armenia is severe and threatens tragic consequences for the Armenian people.

"Given that there are no bearable living conditions in the country, people flee abroad in hope to find a better life. The unbearable conditions compel them to leave their families," he said.

Agamaly said further that young Armenians are sent to serve in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, where they face the most severe "dedovshina" or abuse of solders, attacks by senior officers and other grave situations which put their life at risk.

According to Agamaly, the inhuman living conditions in Armenia "are leading the country to an inevitable abyss". He added, "Despite the assistance received from some countries and the Armenian diaspora, the country will ultimately end up in a deep abyss."

A path of recovery from the current situation in Armenia lies through normalization of relations with neighboring countries -- Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia. Armenia should give up its policy of aggression and withdraw its troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, the MP said.

Armenia fought a lengthy war with Azerbaijan that ended with the signing of a fragile cease-fire in 1994. Since then, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, defying international calls and UN resolutions. Long-standing efforts by US, Russian and French mediators have been fruitless so far.

Azerbaijani Consul General in Los-Angeles Nasimi Aghayev also referred to the challenging demographic situation in Armenia in his article carried by numerous US media.

According to Aghayev, Armenia is undergoing a serious demographic decline. Tens of thousands of young people, seeing no opportunities at home, are moving abroad for a better life. An independent survey published last year by the Carnegie Endowment in Washington shows that 64% of Armenians want to emigrate. According to various figures, around 1.5 million Armenians -- almost half of the country's population -- have permanently moved abroad since 1991.

"Social infrastructure is gradually eroding. The economy is stagnant and reliant on foreign assistance and remittances; meanwhile Armenia is increasingly diplomatically isolated. The future, on current trends, looks bleak."

Aghayev said that peace with Azerbaijan would revolutionize Armenia's prospects by bringing stability and open borders, encouraging much-needed investments, and connecting Armenia to the region's growing network of transport and energy corridors. "But the Armenian government seems not to understand this reality. Instead of pursuing the path of peace, the Armenian government continues the illegal occupation and does its best to preserve the unjust status quo," Aghayev added.