The statements by the President of Azerbaijan, in essence, signal the implementation of a plan to resolve the political conflict through military action, in particular, an invasion of the territory of Armenia, with the clear intention of realizing the threat of the complete destruction of the Armenian nation, said former head of the State Revenue Committee of Armenia David Ananyan, commenting on the latest statements by Ilham Aliyev.
“In cases where the monarch of a country that has won a war does not want to establish peace, but, on the contrary, seeks to destroy the people of the defeated country, as well as occupy this state, declaring it a “fascist state,” the primary task is to unite and mobilize the domestic society and people, as well as the international community, to prevent the planned aggression against our country,” he wrote on his FB.
Ananyan also emphasized that in this situation, in order to create a united front against an external threat, there is a need and requirement to make urgent and strong-willed decisions and implement clear steps.
“And the most important thing is a government of national unity, capable of making such decisions and taking steps,” he added.
The former official pointed out specific steps that need to be taken to effectively counter aggression and preserve national existence and sovereignty.
State of emergency and mobilization
“In order to overcome and resolve the existential problems facing our country, a state of emergency must be declared in the country, and the Armed Forces must be put on high combat alert. At the same time, nationwide full or partial military exercises should also be announced with strict cooperation between state and territorial government bodies, local government bodies, with the involvement of the population of border communities in border protection,” Ananyan said.
Internal consolidation of society
“The basis of internal consolidation is the rise of society and the people, the awakening of public and civil consciousness. In this regard, it is important to disseminate objective information about threats from a hostile country and the real state of affairs in a hostile country through the media, social networks and any available means of communication. At the same time, coordination commissions should be created, which will include representatives of the opposition, civil society, the intelligentsia, lawyers, public figures. These committees should work to coordinate actions at all levels,” the former head of the State Revenue Committee notes.
International Mobilization
“Immediate diplomatic measures are needed to mobilize the international community. This may include calling for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, requesting support and observers from international organizations (e.g. the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe), as well as active work with international media to highlight the threat of aggression and obtain international support. It is also important to work on creating an international coalition to apply economic sanctions and political pressure on the aggressor state, as well as diplomatic pressure to isolate the aggressor on the world stage,” Ananyan emphasizes.
An appeal to international partners and allies
“It is urgently necessary to rethink and re-establish ties with allied states and receive guaranteed assistance from them. This includes the possible deployment of allied armed forces in the country to deter aggression and the provision of military assistance,” the former official concluded.
On Aliyev’s statements
On January 7, in an interview with a number of local media outlets, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev made several statements regarding Armenia. In particular, he said that a meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani commissions on border demarcation issues would be held by the end of January, noted that the so-called “Zangezur corridor” would be opened, and also called Armenia a “fascist state”, stating that “this fascism will be destroyed either by the Armenian leadership or by us.”
He also stated that Azerbaijan wants peace and cooperation in the South Caucasus, and “Armenia should not interfere with us, should not be a geopolitical barrier between Turkey and Azerbaijan.” Aliyev demanded that Armenia immediately stop arming, and that the weapons already delivered to the country be returned. He also stated that a peace treaty is impossible without the abolition of the Minsk Group and changes to the Armenian constitution.
