Baku visit of Russian Defense Minister - Armenian jealousy - COMMENT

Baku. 16 August. REPORT.AZ/ After the April battles, discussions on the occupied lands of Azerbaijan have further intensified.

Official Baku protests the long-lasting occupation and lays down fair conditions regarding liberation of the occupied territories while international mediators talk about observing the ceasefire regime and a peaceful solution to the conflict.

In any case, such issues make actual that Nagorno Karabakh conflict is not among frozen conflicts. This a conflict pending solution for 26 years, which hasn't been settled or not practically supported by the international mediators.

Also, during last month, activity is being observed in Baku visit of the representatives of the Russian government.

Yesterday, President Ilham Aliyev has received Russian Defense Minister, Army General Sergei Shoigu, who was on a working visit to Azerbaijan. The Head of State stressed that Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to Azerbaijan was successful and that wide range of relations discussed during the meeting of Azerbaijani and Russian Presidents as well as successful implementation of military and military-technical cooperation stated.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stressed importance of President Vladimir Putin's visit to Azerbaijan and bilateral relations during the visit as well as of expansion of military and military-technical cooperation.

Notably, on August 13, Defense Minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov participated in the grand closing ceremony of International Military Games - 2016 at Alabino training range, Moscow.

Azerbaijani officials, representatives of political and public organizations discuss the issue of the occupied territories during foreign visits, attended events and meetings.

It can be assumed that this issue was also touched upon during Sergei Shoigu's visit.

Because Armenia is very concerned about Azerbaijan's military-technical cooperation with Russia. Yerevan is making unfounded accusations in this regard.

By the way, a meeting of the defense ministries representatives of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states will be held in Yerevan on August 16. There is no information reported whether S.Shoigu will attend the meeting.

After Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Baku, in addition to the idea of creating Turkey-Azerbaijan-Russia trilateral format of cooperation, liberation of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, firstly, of the 5 regions became actual. 

Proposal regarding liberation of 5 regions has been expressed at different levels for nearly 20 years. Even the former president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan's presidency was sacrificed to this idea.

Protests have been held in Armenia against Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan for several months. Attack was carried out to Yerevan police station. Several police officers was reported to have been killed. In addition to resignation of Serzh Sargsyan, absurd ideas as not withdrawing from the occupied lands made in the protests.

Besides clarifying intergovernmental relationships, these protests also can be regarded as a pressure on Moscow.

It can be assumed that there is an attempt towards freeing of Azerbaijan's 5 regions.

In this context, Armenia and the Armenian lobby are mostly preparing for the stage after liberation of these regions or they are intended to ensure establishment of the second Armenian 'state' in the territory of Azerbaijan. Therefore, as if they are both putting pressure on Sargsyan and make accusations against Moscow.

Liberation of 5 Azerbaijani regions is also supported by the politicians of Armenian ethnic group. One of them is Andranik Migranyan, Professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. According to him, currently, the French government is preparing a meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan. He stressed that regions surrounding Karabakh belong to Azerbaijan and that their liberation is important: 'Russia and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs consider the territories as Azerbaijani lands'.

If Armenian professor have said that Nagorno-Karabakh is entirely Azerbaijan's territory, then he would have shown his unbiased attitude. However, stressing importance of freeing 5 regions, he delivered to the Armenian community that these territories will be returned sooner or later.

Apparently, Armenia has a serious problem regarding liberation of those regions. Very likely, supporters of Armenians have given them big promises that Nagorno Karabakh will not be freed. So, Armenians formed ridiculous opinion as if these territories belong to them.

Also, the Armenian media highlighted Sergei Shoigu's visit to Baku on the background of this ridiculous opinion. They believe that this visit is Moscow's pressure on Yerevan.

However, existence of the Armenian state on three supports - the Armenian government, Armenian lobby and Russia - is no secret.

Therefore, events in the country are not excluded to occur from the three sources while coordination of the trio does not seem so easy. Evaluation of the Russian Defense Minister's visit to Baku in the Armenian media, protests in Armenia are visual evidences of these cases.