On September 19, Azerbaijan initiated a significant “anti-terrorist operation” in Nagorno-Karabakh. The conflict lasted only 24 hours, but Azerbaijan achieved its goal: The local defense forces surrendered and agreed to engage in discussions regarding potential integration.
Five days later, Baku opened the Lachin Corridor that links Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and thousands of residents of Armenian descent fled to Armenia for refuge and are unlikely to return.
In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Armenia’s ambassador to Israel, Arman Akopian, said Azerbaijan has been using Israeli weapons to maintain its power over Nagorno-Karabakh, including against civilians.
In an earlier interview, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Israel, Mukhtar Mammadov, told the Post that the Armenians have been smuggling their own weapons into the region that would eventually be used against his country. He also said that Azerbaijan is not forcing anyone to leave Karabakh but would like to integrate the residents into Azerbaijan.
Meanwhile, representatives of Armenia and Azerbaijan are meeting to reach a final peace agreement. The Post spoke to Akopian over the weekend to discuss how his country views the situation.
This interview has been modified only for length and clarity.
Jerusalem Post: Can you describe the current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh from your perspective?
Ambassador Arman Akopian: What is going on is classic ethnic cleaning. We see the indigenous population of the region of Armenia, people who were there for 3,000 years, leaving their homes and their spiritual and national heritage behind, leaving the graves of their loved ones behind.
Why are they leaving?
They have no choice but to leave Nagorno-Karabakh because their lives are unbearable. Just a week ago, 120,000 Armenians lived there. Today, about 100,000 have already left.
Azerbaijan firmly maintains that they want the residents to stay and that the only people who left Karabakh are military personnel. Who is telling the truth?
The official number of people who left is 95,000. Do you believe there were 95,000 military in that region? You can see the videos on TV: Women and children are being expelled because they see no future there. There is no guarantee for their lives. Even the Azeri people do not have guarantees because they live under an autocracy. How can the rights of the Armenians be guaranteed?
[Azerbaijan considers itself a democracy, with free elections and three branches of government operating independently: legislative, executive and judicial. However, some political analysts often characterize the country as authoritarian for its lack of genuinely democratic elections and a significant concentration of power in the hands of President Ilham Aliyev and his extended family.]
Tell me about the land mines that Armenia has reportedly placed in the area and the military personnel that were on the ground. These landmines have killed or maimed dozens of Azeri civilians and soldiers. Wasn't that breaking the ceasefire agreement, and did the country not expect repercussions?
These were self-defense forces to protect local Armenians against the Azeris. There were two wars [in 1990 and 2020], and the people's safety was not guaranteed. Any community has a right to protect itself. Who else would have protected them?
Azerbaijan claims these units were part of the regular army of the Republic of Armenia. It is a lie. There are no standard army units of the Republic of Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Would you compare the situation of the Armenians to the current plight of the Palestinians?
I would not, no. It does not make sense to compare conflicts. Each conflict is unique.
Leaders have been meeting on both sides to achieve a final peace agreement. What is the status of those talks, and do you see this as something that could happen soon - and last?
Any war ends with peace, and we remain optimistic that we will reach an agreement. But under the current conditions, when Armenians are expelled from their ancestral homeland, [it is hard to foresee]. I hope this meeting [between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on October 5] will take place because there is no other alternative but to sit at the table and talk.
Is Israel too pro-Azerbaijan?
I don't believe Israel has Armenia on its agenda. We have seen a lot of military cooperation: Azerbaijan buying Israeli weapons worth billions of dollars, and there is cooperation on military defense and intelligence. Iran, of course, is a factor in that. I would not say Israel is 'pro,' but cooperation is very strong, and the strategic partnership is very strong. Every time there is an escalation in our region, from the second war in 2020 until September 19, we know that Azerbaijan's Silk Way Airlines is making frequent flights to Israel to import weapons. Before this last escalation, a flight went directly from Israel to the city of Ganja, situated just north of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Any country can sell and buy weapons. The issue is that these weapons end up on our borders and are fired at peaceful civilians.
So, if you ask whether Israel is pro-Azerbaijan, I cannot answer. But the countries' strategic, military and intelligence cooperation is strong, and it is no secret. It is something both sides declare with pride.
Is Israel anti-Armenia?
No. The civil society is very pro-Armenia in the case of Nagorno-Karabakh and recognition of the Armenian genocide.
[Israel has yet to recognize the Armenian genocide officially.]
Would you compare the plight of the Armenians in Nagorno-Karbach to that of the Jews during World War II? And given the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust, would you not expect more support from Israel?
We can find parallels. Armenians and Jews have so many things in common. We are two peoples who suffered terrible genocides: the Armenians during WWI and the Jews in WWII.
Raphael Lemkin, creator of the world' genocide,' referred to both the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust in parallel in an interview with CBS.
Is there anything you want to add that I did not ask you?
We are witnessing a terrible human tragedy unprecedented in the 21st Century. Armenians are being forced out of their historic homeland, leaving their heritage, churches, monasteries, and tombstones behind. I see no hope for them. As long as Azerbaijan remains an autocracy, we will continue to witness this tragedy.
I am also thankful to all the Israelis who call the embassy, write open letters, and place ads in local papers supporting the Armenians. I am grateful for all the goodwill and support.