The recent events in the Kafan-Zangilan section of the conditional border between Azerbaijan and Armenia have confirmed this once again.
On February 12, Armenia, encouraged by European patronage and believing in its own impunity, staged a provocation: a sniper was brought to a combat position and opened fire on Azerbaijani territory, wounding a member of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan. In response, Azerbaijan has already carried out its Operation Vengeance, and now the Armenian side is counting its losses and “licking its wounds”.
The provocation, prepared with the participation, or rather complicity, of the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA), was met with a worthy response. Reportedly, as a result of the operation, a combat post of the Armenian Armed Forces near the village of Nerkin-And in Kafan District, from where our border guards had been shot at the previous day, was completely destroyed.
Before arranging the provocation, its organizers should have refreshed their memory of the events at the Saribaba and Boyuk Ishigli heights, Lake Garagol and so on. They should have kept in mind that Azerbaijan does not leave such attempts without a harsh response. Now the entire responsibility for the consequences of the new provocation on the border falls on the military-political leadership of Armenia, who after several months of quiet is once again seeking to derail the situation on the border.
But the EUMA staff with their binoculars are just as accountable for what happened. Not to mention the “secret” instructors, etc. The ones who scurried away, dropping their binoculars the moment the first shots were fired.
The “European Union monitoring mission”, which issues releases about people visiting them and looking through binoculars, should now, in line with all political and ethical standards, issue a statement and condemn the Armenian provocation on the border. It is very hard to believe that EUMA is completely unaware of what is happening. And if this has not been done, if EUMA is not even trying to investigate and make statements, one can already draw political conclusions. It is obvious that not only Armenia, but also its new patrons France and the United States are responsible for the surge in tension.
The patrons who, contrary to their own statements about being ready and willing to promote peace in the region, were very much unhappy with the quiet on the border and very much wanted to have the conflict in working order to “penetrate” into the region and strengthen their positions in Armenia. That is why they are escalating the conflict in order to get a foothold in Armenia and enter the region through the Armenian “door”.
Well, in this case we are compelled to remind them the facts of reality. First, as past experience shows, they would do well not to attempt to do so by encouraging Armenia, repeatedly battered for its aggressiveness, to encroach on the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Azerbaijan. One should think professional diplomats do not need to be reminded that this is exactly how unprovoked sniper fire on an Azerbaijani border post is qualified. Azerbaijan will respond to such encroachments, and it will respond harshly. Most importantly, when it gets really “hot”, no one will protect Armenia. Pashinyan had better stop his political gambling before he brings the country to the brink of a new military and political catastrophe.
