Azerbaijan, a non-permanent member of UN Security Council, believes in her own impunity

PanARMENIAN.Net - Sometimes you get the impression that Armenia overlooks the fact that the main objective of Baku is to wipe Nagorno-Karabakh (and Armenia as well) off the map. Meanwhile, the snipers, trained by Turkish military advisers on Russian simulators, have become notorious for killing Armenian soldiers defending their homeland. We can confidently say that any Azerbaijani sniper serving on the front line of the NKR Defense Army is a potential hero of Azerbaijan.

Alas, there is nothing new in the statement that Azerbaijan is constantly killing Armenian soldiers and also in the fact that the Armenian side, unfortunately, almost always appeals to international law and only after that gives an adequate response. This response, as a rule, immediately spreads in the Azerbaijani media and is interpreted as a “flagrant violation of the ceasefire regime”. But no mediator or international organization shall force Baku to withdraw its snipers from the contact line. Moreover, the shooting will become even more intense, because on becoming a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Azerbaijan came to believe in her own impunity.

“The incidents on the frontline are another proof of the Azeri disregard of the mediators' efforts aimed at conflict settlement, and demonstrate a clear attempt to escalate regional tension. This forces the Artsakh side to resort to tougher actions in future,” reads the NKR Defense Army statement. NKR Defense Army reported over 150 cases of ceasefire violation over the past week.

“Azeri snipers’ provocative actions, resulting in the death of 2 Armenian soldiers in the past 2 days, prove that Baku learnt no lesson from its past experience, nor is it interested in the safety of its soldiers,” according to Armenian Defense Ministry Spokesman, Davit Karapetyan. “As Azeri military and political officials seem uninterested in the lives of their servicemen, I have to remind Azeri population that Armenian side will give a harsh response to the death of every one of its soldiers, like it did in the past. Irresponsible commanders of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces must be well aware of the NKR Defense Army skills,” Karapetyan said in his statement.

All of this is correct, but puzzling is the fact that the Armenian press is full of nothing but gung-ho sentiments about the situation. However, never should we underestimate our enemy. Armenian and Nagorno-Karabakh military and policing branches are well aware of it, but for “experts” and “analysts” this was simply a regular opportunity to speak to the public. However, worthless are their statements, if Armenian soldiers should be killed on the front line. Nothing is sacred to such “figures”: the calls to write letters, condemnation and the like are just an easy way of self-advertisement. In fact, the situation is much more complicated. The state of affairs in the region is rather difficult, threatening to explode. And though it seems to be aimed at Iran, in fact it directly touches the South Caucasus states, which simply may not be able to survive.

The silence and acquiescence of the international community in the issue of Baku’s violation of the cease-fire regime is quite understandable: Azerbaijan could become a transit country for the transfer of the alleged coalition forces against Iran. Most likely this is why Baku was allowed to take part in the meetings of the UN Security Council. No other explanation is applicable. Turkey is the only country that can call Aliyev to order, but she won’t do it for obvious reasons. It's not about the Armenian question; it’s about Iran, against which Ankara is engaged in a tough struggle for regional leadership, despite the pledge of both sides of “friendship and brotherhood”.

It’s a fact that the Armenian side will give an adequate response to the killings of the Armenian soldiers. But the developments prompt that the response must be memorable enough to keep Baku long from provocations and killings. Constructive approach and dialogue are good things, but not in this region.