FOREIGN MINISTER OF AZERBAIJAN THREATENS TO OCCUPY ZANGEZUR

General Abiyev does not hide the programs of his government.

Recently voiced sincerities of the Defense Minister of Azerbaijan can be named sensational. During the negotiations with the Minister of Defense of Lithuania Linas Linkyavichus, the Colonel-General Safar Abiyev spoke very precisely about the territorial claims on the Southern regions of Armenia. But before making this statement, the General made sure that all the cameras were functioning and the reporters were very attentive. He said literally as follows: “Armenia must always remember – what Azerbaijan agreed to yesterday, it will not agree any more today and tomorrow. Azerbaijan does not want to have a separated country – I mean Nakhichevan, separated from our main lands. This issue will be raised tomorrow...”

May 21, 2003

PanARMENIAN.Net - These words shocked even the Azerbaijani journalists. “Doesn’t this mean that Azerbaijan is going to make territorial claims to Armenia?” the “525th newspaper” (Baku) writes. The newspaper shared its concern with the political scientist Rasim Musabekov, who, evidently, was also a little bit embarrassed with the harshness of the General. Trying to find arguments able to soften the consequences of Abiyev’s statement, the expert made an absurd comment: “Generally, this is a statement of a military man and not a diplomat. The Minister of Defense not necessarily has to follow the principles of international law”. The political scientist made a revolutionary discovery able to turn over the whole world. From now on it will not be reprehensible if, for example, the Minister of Defense of Russia Sergey Ivanov suddenly announces that he does not want the Kaliningrad region to be far away and that is why Kremlin is going to appropriate the Southern regions of Latvia and Lithuania. What's the problem? Ivanov is not a diplomat, and, according to the logic of Musabekov, he is not obliged to follow the principles of international law. With the same logic, it would be justifiable if the Chief of Pentagon Donald Ramsfeld starts to claim on the Western coasts of Canada the control over which is necessary for the USA to have a communication with Alyaska. Ramsfeld is a military man and can disobey the rules of the international law.

But even if Rasim Musabekov justifies his Minister, it is obvious that he does not like the harshness of the General Abiyev. In any case, he is concerned that his revolutionary discoveries will not be accepted with pleasure by everyone in the world. This is why he concludes that ''it was not a good idea to make this statement right during the visit of the NATO Secretary General to Baku''. So, the matter is that Robertson might not like the statement, that's it. The rest is OK.

Such logic is usual for almost all the Azerbaijani political scientists and political figures. It is high time for the world community to give an appropriate assessment to such a disregard for the norms of the international law. The OSCE Minsk group co-chairmen getting ready for their visit to the region should be the first to react to the statement of Safar Abiyev. We suppose that the Armenian authorities will draw the attention of the peacemakers to this unpleasant fact.