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Armenia's biased patrons coerce Yerevan to disrupt peace in S Caucasus

30 July 2024 20:11 (UTC+04:00)
Armenia's biased patrons coerce Yerevan to disrupt peace in S Caucasus
Fatima Latifova
Fatima Latifova
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The volatility in decisions made by Armenia's leadership over the past four years regarding the issue of peace reflects the country's unstable position in the South Caucasus. In February of this year, Yerevan handed over mine maps planted in Garabagh to Baku, but later, these maps turned out to be inaccurate. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took steps towards peace by returning four villages in Gazakh to Azerbaijan, but later rejected the UK's peace proposal and avoided a meeting with the President of Azerbaijan, which reflects Yerevan's inconsistency in politics.

Interestingly, when they fail to get support from the West, Nikol Pashinyan and other Armenian politicians talk about the importance of peace in the South Caucasus, expressing readiness to sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan. However, a small amount, like 10 million euros from Europe, is enough to divert Yerevan from peace.

The pro-Armenian political trend in the West, particularly in France, is spreading to other countries. Greece and Southern Cyprus, which have historically supported Armenia's provocations, also follow this trend, considering themselves among the "great powers."

If we look closely, the history of institutions supporting Armenia's genocides, separatist acts in Garabagh, and provocations at the border after the war is as dark and dirty as that of Armenia's prospects for peace. For example, France, a country that built its wealth on the slave trade for centuries and conducted colonial policies in Africa, committing genocides, now defends Armenia more than Armenians themselves. Greece, for many years, has made territorial claims against Turkiye and commemorates the so-called Armenian genocide annually while also supporting the occupation of Azerbaijani lands.

Southern Cyprus is known internationally as a criminal offshore zone and was the area where the leaders of the illegal regime in Garabagh laundered their dirty money. Interestingly, it is one of the most ardent defenders of Armenia's territorial integrity and inviolability of borders.

Why are all of Armenia's supporters so biased?

Yesterday, Armenia's Foreign Minister, Ararat Mirzoyan, met with his counterpart from so-called Southern Cyprus, Konstantinos Kobos. The meeting also discussed the normalisation process of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Kobos talked about the importance of protecting Armenia's territorial integrity and mentioned that peace starts with respecting a territorial integrity of a country. He also subtly suggested that Azerbaijan is implementing "coercion tactics" against Armenia.

It's curious why the Cypriot Foreign Minister, with such reverence for Armenia's territorial integrity and sovereignty, has never commented on the genocides and provocations carried out by Armenia on Azerbaijani lands for nearly 30 years.

However, it is unrealistic to expect a fair stance regarding the stalled peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia from a country blended with provocations and genocides, and particularly hatred towards the Turkic nation. It is no secret that the states that now advise Armenia once caused great uproar and committed genocides themselves. It should be remembered that the division of Cyprus in 1974 was caused by the attempts of radical members of the Greek community to annul Cyprus's independence and deport Turks to unite the island with Greece.

Note that since 1955, Turkish areas in major cities, villages, and sacred and religious sites have been attacked by EOKA. Defenceless citizens were brutally murdered simply because they were Turkish. These attempts were the same as Armenia's expulsion of more than 1 million Azerbaijanis from Garabagh. Therefore, it is no coincidence that Armenia's supporters are like-minded.

The main issue here is not with whom Armenia collaborates or the baseless claims and provocative statements made against Azerbaijan within these collaborations. As Yerevan gains support from these institutions, it casts a shadow over the peace negotiations achieved with Baku so far. This directly reignites the smouldering conflict in the South Caucasus. When Armenian leadership receives orders from outside, they provoke at the border with Azerbaijan, and the institutions controlling Pashinyan's administration support these provocations. Now, no country that encourages and emboldens Yerevan to go to war with Azerbaijan will protect Armenia against Azerbaijan in a potential war in the South Caucasus.

It is worth noting that the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict, which began during the Tsarist Russian period, is closer to peace than ever for the first time. Armenia's return to a policy of provocation after this development could lead the region's fate to disaster.

Because a third war in the region which Armenia desires could result in the defeat and even disintegration of Armenia, which is already in an economic and social plight.

Currently, the most logical path for Yerevan is not to test Azerbaijan's patience by relying on the nominal support of its foreign patrons, but to continue peace negotiations as soon as possible.

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