YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Murad Papazian and Ara Toranain – Co-Chairmen of the Coordination Council of the Armenian Organizations of France, published an article at “Liberation” newspaper.

“Armenpress” presents non-official translation of the article.

“Azerbaijan’s President is hosted in France. A visit which cannot be justified given the militaristic policy of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, who is famous for his militaristic stance over the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and anti-liberal activity in his country, was in France on an official visit on March 14. Even if the invitation was made for diplomatic purposes, in any case it cannot be justified both from the perspective of ethics and equality. A week ago hosting Armenia’s President, France, which is a mediator in the Karabakh conflict, undoubtedly tries to maintain equality between the conflicting sides, but equality is not always fair.

“The Karabakh issue is vital issue for Armenia and an issue of national pride for Azerbaijan”, Nobel Prize winner Andrei Sakharov said. Since the signing of ceasefire agreement between the sides 23 years ago, the provisions of this issue didn’t change, they even deteriorated. Due to the proceeds received from sale of oil, Aliyev plunged his country into an arms race. In recent years Azerbaijan’s military budget approached to Armenia’s total GDP. Azerbaijan’s aim is to take under its control the Republic of Artsakh independent for 23 years, if necessary, by force. All this is being viewed in the context of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity the borders of which were set by Stalin in 1921. By passing from words to action, the Azerbaijani army for years multiplies the ceasefire violations which results in numerous losses and destabilization of the entire region. In particular, the four-day war launched on April 2, 2016 resulted in hundreds of losses from both sides.

Aliyev’s militaristic actions both from political and moral perspective are unforgivable since they first of all contradict to the first one of the Madrid principles, which is to refuse from use of force and threat of force. Such steps will not result in anything. Facing a wall, Armenia has no other option than to resist. For over 150 years being a target of genocidal ambitions of pan-Turkism and pan-Islamism, the presence of an Armenian in the region decreased to a degree that at this stage retreat will mean to lose the last barrier protecting from the danger of complete elimination.

Whatever some corrupt political figures say, Aliyev’s Azerbaijan is not a country of tolerance as it is presented. It is first of all a dictatorial and racist state which is guilty for not only the elimination of civilians in Stepanakert, Maraga, Kirovabad, but also for the massacre of Armenians away from a battle field hundreds of kilometers, as in Sumgait, the Caspian Sea coast or Baku. Ilham Aliyev has never hidden his hysterical hatred towards Armenia, he repeatedly questioned Armenia’s existence, insisting that Armenia is an artificially created state within Azerbaijani territory. Guided by pan-Turkism he together with Erdogan announces that Azerbaijan and Turkey are two states of one nation. The same denial of the Armenian Genocide is propagated in Baku and Ankara.

By ignoring the right of his own people, Aliyev embodies a dynastic, clan, oligarchic and dictatorial power which occupied and exploits Azerbaijan’s natural resources over the past 25 years. By suppressing any opposition in its initial stage of formation, Aliyev’s dictatorial regime is being regularly criticized by human rights organizations for its behavior, tortures.

According to the “Reporters Without Borders”, Azerbaijan is ranked 163rd among 180 countries in press freedom index. According to “Transparency International”, Azerbaijan is ranked 123rd out of 176 countries in the corruption index. The report published by the European Stability Initiative on December 17 reveals Azerbaijan’s attempts to bribe the lawmakers of the Council of Europe. Unsatisfied with spreading a fear only in the spheres of its influence, Aliyev regime tries to spread its network also at the international level. Thus, Aliyev regime reached to the point that Belarus extradited Russian-Israeli blogger Alexander Lapshin to Baku which was arrested in the Minsk airport on December 17, 2016. The only guilt of this pro-liberal person were his pro-Armenian stances and the visits to the Artsakh Republic in 2011-2012 which were done without “Azerbaijan’s permission”, a country which has no authority over those territories for over the past two decades.

This is the responsible person for the abovementioned situation who will be hosted by France on March 14. This is the dictator whose voice will be heard in Paris, meanwhile he silences those voices in his country and the region. “Peace for Nagorno Karabakh, democracy to Azerbaijan”: this is the slogan of a rally we held on March 14 at 18:30, near the Human Rights Court, in Trocadéro”.