GEOFFREY ROBERTSON

The destruction of Nagorno-Karabakh shows that the West has again failed to stand up to international aggression

It happened quickly, the final invasion, and with hundreds of Orthodox Christians killed by the aggressors. Armenia, led by a one-time human rights lawyer, had no alternative but to save thousands of its people from death by surrendering their enclave at Nagorno-Karabakh to the brutal forces of Ilham Aliyev, dictator of Azerbaijan….

Nagorno-Karabakh crisis forces Western rethink on Azerbaijan

Baku has drawn the ire of the EU and US after years of promoting itself as a reliable security partner and vital transport hub,

As the dramatic images emerge of thousands of Karabakh Armenians forced away from their homes in a mass exodus, some in the west are beginning to rethink their relationship with Azerbaijan.

Through a mixture of skilled diplomacy and lobbying, the resource-rich country has for years promoted itself in the UK and EU as a reliable security partner and vital transport hub.

But by launching a military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh and triggering a humanitarian catastrophe as refugees pour out of the region, the Azerbaijanpresident, Ilham Aliyev, has drawn the ire of the EU and the US.

“The crisis and human suffering could and should have been prevented,” said a senior western diplomat in Baku, speaking on condition of anonymity. “It will be trickier for us to continue as usual with Azerbaijan.”

At the UN last week, the German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, accused Baku of “breaking its repeated assurances to refrain from the use of force, causing tremendous suffering to a population already in dire straits”. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, said Azerbaijani authorities were “uninhibited”.

“Many in Brussels and Washington feel shocked and betrayed by Azerbaijan’s use of force,” said Thomas de Waal, senior fellow at the Carnegie Europe thinktank. He said that western officials believe the inaction of the 2,000 Russian peacekeepers deployed to the region suggests that a side deal was reached between Moscow and Baku, who both blamed the Armenian prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, and his pro-western pivot for the fighting.

“The west has been marginalised, despite long efforts to solve the conflict,” De Waal said. “For a long time, Azerbaijan was very skilled at projecting its value to the west. But there seems to be a revaluation going on about just how important and trustworthy Baku really is.”

Baku for years has been said to employ so-called “caviar diplomacy”: using cash and gifts to buy influence in Europe. The Guardian previously revealed how Azerbaijan funnelled about $2.9bn (£2.2bn) out of the country via a network of secret British companies to pay supporters, lobbyists and politicians in Europe, buy luxury goods and services, and launder money for the Azerbaijani elite.

Prior to the latest fighting in Karabakh, Europe appeared to be moving closer to Baku, despite the country’s poor human rights record and credible evidence that it committed atrocities in the 2020 Karabakh war.

The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, travelled to Baku in 2022 as the EU looked to reduce its reliance on Russian energy, hailing Azerbaijan as a “crucial” and “reliable” energy supplier. She announced an agreement to double the EU’s purchases of Azerbaijani gas by 2027, but made no mention of the country’s human rights situation or its relationship with Armenia.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/26/nagorno-karabakh-crisis-forces-western-rethink-on-azerbaijan

There are compelling justifications for Pashinyan’s resignation, primarily stemming from the loss of Artsakh during his tenure due to both his actions and inactions. Each day Pashinyan remains in power poses a grave threat to Armenia’s future.

He bears responsibility for mishandling Armenia’s foreign and Karabakh policies through his populist rhetoric, lack of strategic direction, and absence of a clear vision. Pashinyan’s policies have resulted in the most significant tragedy for the Armenian people since 1915.

Western supporters of Armenia and Artsakh have failed to fulfill their commitments, a foreseeable outcome for seasoned politicians, but not for Pashinyan and his Civil Contract party.

Azerbaijan has now crossed all of the West’s established boundaries without encountering any sanctions directed at its government entities or officials. Assigning blame to Putin, Aliyev, Erdogan, or others is inconsequential. As an Armenian citizen, I can only hold my government accountable for mishandling every aspect of this situation.

Op-ed by Karen Harutyunyan, Editor-in-Chief

“The future of Armenia depends on one person, and that person is me. The future of Armenia depends on one person, and that person is you,” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated in his Sunday address to the nation amid mass protests demanding his resignation following Artsakh’s devastating defeat and loss of independence, which has led to a mass exodus of Armenians.

Some argue that there is a concerted Russian effort to undermine Armenia’s statehood and independence, and they may have a point. Russia not only acquiesced to but also potentially greenlit Azerbaijan’s aggression and subsequent ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia’s ruling party media apologists staunchly adhere to the government’s propaganda line. They suggest that while Pashinyan can be blamed for failing to address Armenia’s challenges, he is not solely responsible for the challenges facing Armenia and Artsakh. Since the end of the 2020 war, this concealed propaganda identifies various convenient scapegoats: former corrupt elites, the army, deserters, traitors, the Alma-Ata Protocol emphasizing member countries’ territorial integrity, Russians, Wagner Group mercenaries, and even the victims themselves — the people of Artsakh. Their ultimate goal is to whitewash the current government and portray it as a defender of Armenia’s sovereignty and independence, while those demanding Pashinyan’s resignation are depicted as “players of Russia’s game.”

There are compelling reasons why Pashinyan must step down, primarily because we lost Artsakh during his leadership, due to both his actions and inactions. Each day Pashinyan remains in office poses an existential threat to Armenia’s future.

He is responsible for screwing up Armenia’s foreign and Karabakh policy with his populist statements, lack of strategy, and lack of vision. Pashinyan’s policy has resulted in the greatest tragedy for the Armenian people since 1915.

All Western supporters of Armenia and Artsakh failed to meet their commitments, a foreseeable outcome for seasoned politicians, but not for Pashinyan and his Civil Contract party.

Azerbaijan has now breached all of the West’s red lines without facing any sanctions so far on its government agencies or officials. Assigning blame to Putin, Aliyev, Erdogan, or others is irrelevant. As a citizen of Armenia and an Armenian, I can only hold my government accountable for mishandling everything.

No one should reinforce Pashinyan’s unofficial narratives about “sovereignty and independence.” His populist rhetoric regarding sovereignty now threatens to erode the last remnants of Armenia’s sovereignty.

Pashinyan must step down and pave the way for the establishment of an interim government of national unity before holding snap parliamentary elections. He and his party pose a significant threat to Armenia’s sovereignty and independence.

P.S.

This article was ready for publication when the breaking news came: “The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic will be formally dissolved by the end of the year. All government agencies are ordered to be disbanded by January 1, 2024, according to a decree issued Thursday by President Samvel Shahramanyan.”

Pashinyan must resign now, without any reservations. 

Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) President Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree Thursday on the actions derived from the situation after September 19.

According to the decree, in the light of the complex military and political situation, based on the priority of ensuring physical safety and vital interests of the people of Artsakh, taking into account the agreement reached through the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent with representatives of Azerbaijan on ensuring free, voluntary, and unrestrained passage of residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, including the armed servicemen, by their property on their vehicles along the Lachin corridor, and in accordance with article 93 of the Nagorno-Karabakh Constitution, the following decision was made:

1) Dissolve all state institutions and organizations under their administrative jurisdiction by January 1, 2024, and the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) ceases to exist.

2) After the entry into force of this Decree, the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, including those outside the Republic, should read the conditions of reintegration presented by Azerbaijan, in order to make further an independent and individual decision on the possibility of stay (return) in Nagorno-Karabakh.

This Decree will enter into force immediately after its publication.