YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS. Inciting tension on Armenia-Azerbaijan border the Azerbaijani authorities try to solve inter-ethnic problems. Political scientist Hrant Melik Shahnazaryan expressed such a viewpoint in an interview with “Armenpress”. The expert notes that information about the deaths of soldiers has been obtained from Lerik and Ağstafa cities and other regions inhabited by Avars, which shows that Avars and Talysh people can be among the killed on the border. “The Azerbaijani authorities keep in secret not only the ethnic construction of their army but also of the whole population. But it is known that Avars, Talysh and Lezgian people have live compactly in some parts, and when information comes about the casualties of Azerbaijan, it is often mentioned from which city the soldier has been recruited”, Melik Shahnazaryan mentioned.

According to him, Azerbaijani local ethnicities have outcried about that issue for several times, stressing that the Azerbaijani authorities target local ethnicities when taking soldiers to the front line. They solve two issues simultaneously by confronting inner enemies against outside enemies. The political scientist mentions that the official Baku took all possible steps to deprive local ethnicities of self organization since Soviet times.