An article by Leone Grotti, published in Tempi on 01/01/2023, translated by CINF.
Read the original article here: https://www.tempi.it/l-azerbaigian-progetta-una-nuova-invasione-per-eliminare-noi-armeni/?highlight=artsakh
“For 20 days I cannot return home, to Nagorno Karabakh, to see my family. The Azeri regime must be punished before it uses force again.” An interview with Artak Beglaryan, adviser to the Minister of the State of Artsakh, on the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor.
More than a thousand residents of Nagorno Karabakh are stuck in Armenia and have not been able to return to their own families for 21 days, that is, since the regime of Azerbaijan blocked for “environmental” reasons the Lachin Corridor, the only road that connects Artsakh with the outside world. Among them is also Artak Beglaryan, advisor to the Minister of the State of Artsakh, who has been in Yerevan since December 12, when the blockade began. “I have had to pass Christmas far from my two children of 1 and 4 years. This separation is very hard for me and my family,” Beglaryan, told Tempi, a 34 years old, who lost his vision as a child due to an explosion of a mine during the first Nagorno-Karabakh war. “Beyond the inconveniences and the difficulties, I am afraid that Azerbaijan is preparing to unleash a new war.”
Advisor, what is the situation of the 120 thousand residents in Artsakh?
The situation worsens day by day. Because of the blockade, in Artsakh nothing can be imported and the people need everything because they are lacking essential goods: food, medicine, hygiene products, gas. There are also socio-economic problems: those who studied or traded or worked or doctored in Armenia could not for 21 days. Many companies have had to stop because they do not have the materials with which to work, also the agriculture has stopped. This is aggravating the unemployment problems and many families are starting to face difficulties.
How many families are separated like yours?
In all we are talking three thousand people. Another thousand residents of Artsakh are stuck in Armenia, there are two thousand persons, between foreigners and residents of Armenia, stuck in Artsakh. Parents, children, husbands, wives that cannot be together for Christmas and they don’t know when they can be reunited. There are 270 children in Armenia that for 21 days could not reunite with their parents in Artsakh. The material problems must not make us underestimate the physiological problems.
To what are you referring?
The Azeri regime is using the blockade of the Lachin Corridor in order to make a psychological impression on the residents of Artsakh, that live at this point in terror that Baku could return to the use of force to eliminate us all.
Two days ago the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, said to fear the outbreak of new conflict.
His fears are well founded. The objective of Azerbaijan and of its allies, the Turks, is to complete the genocide of 1915. They want to cleanse us from our land by any means: two years ago they unleashed a war, only a few months ago they accomplished another military aggression, now we are isolated from the world and if they do not get what they want they might turn to the use of force. This is why the world must strive to stop the regime.
How?
A few days ago I presented before the offices of the United Nations in Yerevan. We have presented our requests to the officials of the UN who passed them on to their superiors in New York. The UN Security Council has already met, and this is important, now however they must put an end to this blockade and take action so that the Armenians of Artsakh have adequate international security guarantees.
How has the international community reacted so far?
We are not satisfied, even though there have been many statements in our favor, also on the part of the United States and the European Court for the human rights, as well as more ambiguous interventions. We ask that a UN mission be sent to Artsakh in order to monitor the situation and that the UN agencies open an office here. Moreover, we need concrete actions and sanctions.
Do you think they would be effective?
I’m not certain. But I know that Azerbaijan has not received other punishments from the international community for previously committed crimes. And it is for this reason that it continues to make them again. In order to prevent future crimes, it needs to be punished for current ones.
Azerbaijan continues to claim that the blockade, in fact, does not exist and and that the private citizens have the right to protest for the protection of the environment. What do you think?
I do not know who they think they’re kidding. In Azerbaijan environmentalist groups do not exist and there has not been a single protest in the past 10 years. All know that the country is governed by a dictatorship, that it locks up political prisoners in prisons and forces activists into exile. We have tried to demonstrate that these “environmentalists” are in reality members of the Azeri special forces, plainclothes service agents and army soldiers without uniform. I would add that many times Azerbaijan has said that it is willing to reopen the Lachin Corridor under certain conditions, thus proving that it is solely responsible for the blockade.
On the basis of the Trilateral Accords of November 2020, the Russian peacekeepers must guarantee the free movement along the Lachin Corridor. Why aren’t they doing it? Why can’t the area be cleared?
Our people expect Russia to do more and use its prominence to resolve the situation. Talks are in progress between Baku and Moscow but I do not know the terms of the dialogue. About why they do not clear the area I cannot comment.
What is the true goal of the blockade?
Ethnic cleansing, without a doubt. Azerbaijan wants to occupy Artsakh and “liberate it” of the Armenian presence. Surely they have also short and mid-term objectives, for example to take possession of our mining complexes. Probably they want also to use the blockade to put pressure on Armenia and push it to accept an unacceptable compromise agreement on Artsakh.
What sentiments are predominant in this period, that should be festive, among the 120 thousand Armenians of Artsakh?
Personally I have been suffering very much because for 21 days I could not see my children and my family. All are preoccupied for their future: we have no certainties and know that Azerbaijan is planning to invade us.