Karabakh people will resolve long-lasting land-dispute, says minister

Nagorno-Karabakh is going to be the place where the Armenians’ fate will be determined, the country’s defense minister said today in a press conference blessed by the Supreme Patriarch.

“That’s doesn’t mean, of course, that we have to direct all efforts to Karabakh,” Lieutenant-General Movses Hakobyan warned.

Addressing the past weeks’ cross-border skirmishes, the minister said that the Defense Army managed to resist and adequately react to the Azerbaijani attacks in all the directions.

“We have suffered losses, which we must avoid to the best of our efforts. We resorted to counteraction and preventive operations to prove that it wasn’t the right way. We are always ready to counteract to the enemy, be it today or tomorrow,” he said.

Commenting on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aiyev’s earlier statement that they are ready to “liberate” Karabakh, the Minister considered it an absurd move.

Hakobyan noted that the Armenians of Karabakh and the diaspora have drawn a very important conclusion by stating that the Armenian side “has nothing more to lose”. “All consolidated over one issue to prove that we are unanimous and united, and ready to solve a common problem. Our soldier gave us a signal today that it is it is necessary to be consolidated and give prevalence to the state interest,” he added.

Addressing the Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani presidents’ recent meeting in Sochi (Russia), the minister stressed that their duty is to bring to life important foreign policy decisions made on the level of presidents and foreign ministers. “Any war finishes with negotiations; hence we hail any meeting of this kind. I think the presidents have agreed upon everything, so it would be good to realize all that,” he said, ruling out the possibility of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict without the country’s direct participation in the process.

“Once Karabakh joins the talks, we can expect a solution in a just one year,” he added.

Asked about the Russian arms sales to Azerbaijan, the minister said the country isn’t positive about the deal. “Our country’s president has expressed a very tough position; it is, of course, very bad that our ally sells weapon to our enemy. The weapons will be used against the rival, no matter where they is purchased from. So it is very bad for us.”

Hakobyan, who is the commander of Karabakh’s Defense Army, said they are every day preparing for a possible war, adding that the country will come out as a winner in case the scenario turns real. “My soldier is ready even for that today. Our everyday activities are directed to that,” added the minister.