Azerbaijan Social Democratic Party co-chair: Armenian president realizes his stupid, unenviable condition

Day.Az: How do you assess outcomes of Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov’s visit to Iran?

Araz Alizade: The visit was success and demonstrated friendly, neighborly and positive mutual relations between Azerbaijan and Iran. Relations between our countries have been tested by time. At one time, Iran provided substantial assistance to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Besides, Iran has recognized Armenia as aggressor which has occupied Azerbaijan’s territories. So, "problems" in relations between our two countries were mentioned only in the pages of the national radical press.

Then why Iran did not close its border with Armenia during the Karabakh war allowing Armenia to survive?

By and large, Turkish-Armenian border has never been closed. Turkey has officially announced closure of borders with Armenia because of Armenia’s occupation of Azerbaijani territories banning Turkish state-owned companies and corporations to appear on the Armenian market. But this did not prevent private Turkish companies from having their offices in Armenia. As a result, on the backdrop of officially closed Turkish-Armenian border, quite large number of Turkish businessmen are working in Armenia and tens of thousands of Armenians earn their lives in Turkey. Despite open borders, the trade turnover between Armenia and Iran is twofold less than the trade turnover between Armenia and Turkey amid officially closed borders.

Azerbaijan maintains warm and friendly relations with Georgia and Turkey whereas Armenia has problems with these states. Furthermore, relations between Azerbaijan and Iran become warmer each passing day. Is it possible that the current situation in the region will impact Armenia’s position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?

Of course, it will. I believe very much that Iran will behave otherwise once a new war erupts between Azerbaijan and Armenia and will close border with Armenia.

I foresee your question that Iran could have done this in a period when there was a war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. So, I should note that Iran prepared two mechanized infantry regiment for Azerbaijan during the Karabakh war.

Besides, people of some Armenia-occupied regions fled their homes through Iran’s territory. Armenia’s position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is now very unenviable. In addition to problems with Turkey and Georgia, this country also has depressing economic situation. It is for this reason that Armenia’s leadership agreed to sign Turkish-Armenian protocols even agreeing to set up a joint commission of historians on the so-called "Armenian genocide" which provoked unprecedented split among Armenians all over the world.

What are your views on reports that Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has instructed to develop amendments to laws on international treaties that imply possibility of withdrawal of signature from Turkey-Armenia protocols?

The reason for these amendments is that during his U.S. trip, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan clearly linked progress in Turkey-Armenia normalization with resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

As a result, Armenia president ended up in a very stupid position. Spoiling relations with the Diaspora, due to which Armenia has survived so many years and after Turkey publicly made its position clear, he had to find a way out of the impasse into which he drove himself after signing of Armenia Armenian-Turkish protocols .

The reports that Armenia President Serzh Sargsyan has ordered to amend laws on international treaties that provide for withdrawal of signature of this country under the Turkish-Armenian protocols suggest that Armenian president realizes his stupid an unenviable condition.

A. Hasanov