With same logic Russia should return Crimea to Ukraine: Shirinyan to Zatulin

Aysor.am has conducted interview with political analyst Levon Shirinyan over the statements of Russian State Duma representatives and Federica Mogherini, Vice-President of the European Commission and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy about Karabakh conflict settlement.

- Mr Shirinyan, Vice-President of the European Commission and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini stated at the meeting with Armenia’s PM that the negotiation process over Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be without preconditions. There is an opinion that Mogherini expressed such viewpoint in response to Pashinyan’s statement that Artsakh must return to the table of negotiations. Do you agree with this claim?

- I do not consider it a precondition. In general, what our PM does is not a precondition, it is development with which the international legislation envisages the freedom of peoples. 

- In such case, what preconditions is it being spoken about?

- I think it is about Azerbaijan. Why do we think that this statement is addressed to us? We may logically suppose that the precondition refer to Azerbaijan’s statements and that Azerbaijan should not forward preconditions. This is statement addressed to Azerbaijan.

- Let’s refer to the statement of State Duma representative Konstantin Zatulin that Karabakh conflict may be easily settled by handing territories to Azerbaijan against Baku’s recognition of Artsakh’s independence. Why are such statements being made?

- Because Russia is not the stakeholder of this conflict settlement. Russia does not want this conflict to be resolved. I convey Zatulin the following – with the same logic Crimea must be returned to Ukraine and secondly, they should refuse of speaking about self-determination right of the peoples. The pre-context is clear – the conflict must stay hot for them to govern us and Azerbaijanis. Zatulin defends anti-human, anti-humane viewpoint trying to keep Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict hot for ages.

- Another State Duma representative Leonid Kalashnikov stated that Azerbaijan’s membership to Eurasian integration and military structure may promote Karabakh conflict settlement. Which is the pre-context of this statement?

- They want to bribe Aliyev in Artsakh issue for Azerbaijan to enter into integration processes, so I would offer Aliyev to bring into life Kalashnikov’s offer and on the same day get such sanctions from the USA for his state to collapse immediately. Russia applies different tricks to keep conflict hot and deprive Armenia of its freedom earned at the cost of its blood and not use its international right, but these are the most stupid games.