Artsakh Republic’s Foreign Minister Davit Babayan recently gave an interview to Ramgavar Mamoul.
After speaking about Artsakh and the overall situation prevailing in Artsakh’s current territory, Babayan particularly emphasized that our people have one path to emerge from all this, and that path is the path of unity.
Below is our interview with Minister Babayan.
– Mr. Minister, in recent days developments are taking place very rapidly; Azerbaijan is systematically destroying our people’s spiritual heritage and symbols, especially in Shushi. What do you have to say in this regard?
Indeed, what Azerbaijan is doing is nothing other than cultural genocide, cultural terrorism and cultural Nazism. This was to be expected, because this is Azerbaijan’s only modus operandi, which we understand; this is not news, and we must have a clear picture of it and never err or stray from reality. We have a neighbour like Azerbaijan, for which Armenophobia has become a state and national ideology. And as for what we must do, one could say that the problem here is more philosophical than even political, but it is natural that we must raise the alarm everywhere, it is natural that we must draw the international community’s attention to these acts. But our greatest task is to be strong, and finally return as a nation, to see to it that our country heals, to be strong and mighty so that we do not allow the enemy ever to seize our country, any part of our country, and our cultural heritage; we have no other option.
– These developments and events, which also wound us in various ways, do they in any way affect the people of Artsakh, the population of Artsakh? In other words, are there dispositions in Artsakh to abandon the homeland and leave, or to live in fear?
Azerbaijan, above all, wants to spread such dispositions among our people, and to that end they make various statements, as if Azerbaijan will soon capture Stepanakert, as if that matter is decided, and so on. Understanding that this is militarily impossible, since in the part that remains of Artsakh the Russian peacekeeping forces are deployed, that is, an attack on Artsakh would in itself be an attack on the Russian Federation, and it is understandable what consequences that could have. All this is understandable to Azerbaijan, but at the same time, the depopulation of Armenians is its overarching goal, but why should it buy expensive things, why use drones, “Bayraktars,” soldiers — resorting to economically cheaper methods, it simply wants to sow despair in our people’s souls and hearts through statements, so that people living in Artsakh think that Artsakh is already a dangerous place and do not want to tie their own and their children’s fate to Artsakh, and those people who want to return to Artsakh do not return; that is the goal. Artsakh’s security, in the current situation, can become a mortal terror in only one case: if unpredictable developments begin in Russia, such as a revolution, or that country becomes embroiled again in a civil war, as happened in 1917-1918, but in that case already the entire Armenian nation would be endangered. If such difficult developments occur, then it is natural that Turkey and Azerbaijan will immediately try to carry out their criminal plans, but as long as the Russian peacekeepers are still in Artsakh and Russia is in a stable situation, the likelihood of such developments is of course very small.
– You touched upon an important question, because the Diaspora at this moment also does not clearly know whether Russia is truly our strategic partner, that is, regardless of everything, Russia kept Artsakh; in that regard, what do you think?
Undoubtedly, Russia is a brother country for us, and truly, if under these conditions Russia were not present in Artsakh, not a single Armenian would remain within a day. Because at this point, unfortunately, we must accept the reality that we are not capable of ensuring Artsakh’s security with our own forces. On the other hand, when Russia provides that security, it affords us new opportunities to heal, to develop economically, and so on. However, the Armenians in Artsakh must well understand that we must not become a stage for global geopolitical struggle. After all, the Armenian nation has that potential to nimbly circumvent the complications between Russia and the West, because from that standpoint we have the Armenian Diaspora; maintaining our ties with different countries is best done that way, and that is the real option. Since we have a Diaspora, it therefore allows us to circumvent many possible geopolitical complications, and in this regard the opportunities we have are truly very great and valuable.
– In light of all this, what do you want to say to the Diaspora Armenians? At the end of this wave of the pandemic, does Artsakh await its Diaspora Armenian children? With what appeal would you like to come forward?
It must be said that yes, the blow was terrible, but Artsakh exists and is standing, the Armenian nation exists and is standing. We shall yet celebrate victories, dear brothers and sisters, and everything depends on us — that we draw the right lessons, finally return as a nation, be intelligent, be professional, be patriotic; after all, God is so great that He would not subject us to the fate that we perhaps deserve, therefore we must be full of hope, because despair is disbelief toward God, which is impermissible.
Ramgavar Mamoul
