Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that what is happening in Yerevan is an internal matter for Armenia and expressed hope that these events will not affect the implementation of the trilateral statement on Karabakh, which he signed with Armenian leader Nikol Pashinyan and Russian leader Vladimir Putin on November 9.
"The events in Armenia are an internal matter of Armenia. <...> Today Armenia is in such a difficult situation that the processes going on there are shaking the foundations of the country's statehood to a great extent," Aliyev said at a press conference on Friday.
"The results of the war remain and will remain unchanged. And the statement signed on November 10 (November 9, Moscow time - TASS) is being executed and must be fully complied with. Most of the provisions of this statement have already been fulfilled. But there are issues that are now the subject of discussion. I hope that in spite of the current situation in Armenia, the statement signed on November 10 will be implemented," he said.
The president added that Yerevan faces "not much of a choice." "They have to accept and reckon with the new reality. We have created a new reality. The most acceptable choice for Armenia now is to fulfill the provisions of the November 10 trilateral statement," Aliyev stressed.
Attempts of revanchism
Azerbaijan will act immediately if it sees any Armenian intentions of revenge.
"Another prerequisite for long-term peace is a clear understanding in Armenia, in Armenian political circles, that any intentions of revenge will be severely punished by Azerbaijan. There is no doubt about this, we will not hesitate for a minute if we see a danger for us again. If we analyze a significant danger, we will act immediately," Aliyev said.
Mass actions by Pashinyan's opponents and supporters began in Armenia on Thursday, after the Armed Forces General Staff issued a statement saying that the military was demanding his resignation. The statement was signed by Chief of the General Staff Onik Gasparyan, his deputies, heads of departments and corps. Pashinyan described it as an attempt of a military coup and announced his decision to dismiss the Chief of General Staff. President Sarkisian, who under the constitution appoints and dismisses the Chief of General Staff at the Prime Minister's recommendation, has not signed the documents yet. Activists of the opposition "Movement for the Salvation of the Motherland" spent the night from Thursday to Friday in tents near the parliament building. They are planning new rallies.
A joint statement by the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia on the full cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh put an end to the fighting in the conflict zone, which began on September 27 last year. According to the document, the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides stopped at the occupied positions, a number of areas came under Baku's control, and Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the line of contact and the Lachin corridor. Baku and Yerevan have been disputing the region's ownership since February 1988, when it announced it was seceding from the Azerbaijani SSR.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS