‘Heritage preservation’: Russian MP explains why peacekeepers remain in Artsakh

Azerbaijan should reflect on the fact that the conditions for the return of the Armenian population to Karabakh are uncomfortable, Konstantin Zatulin, the first deputy chair of the Russian State Duma Committee for CIS Affairs, told the Russian National News Service.

According to Zatulin, the presence of Russian peacekeepers will give the Armenians of Artsakh a certain guarantee for the preservation of historical and cultural heritage.

Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that in the November 9 statement, there is no clause according to which Russia can control transport communications passing through Armenia. He noted that Azerbaijan and Russia “tore up and threw away other paragraphs of this statement, completely violating their obligations.” Pashinyan also pointed out that the Russian peacekeeping mission is responsible for the exodus of Armenians from Artsakh.

According to Zatulin, Russian peacekeepers should not be withdrawn from the republic.

“The conditions are currently uncomfortable for the return of the Armenian population. But the return itself and the fact that Armenians have lived in Nagorno-Karabakh for hundreds of years cannot be neglected. If the Azerbaijani leadership has good will and a desire to appear civilized in the eyes of the whole world, they should reflect upon it. For this, it is quite possible that our peacekeepers are needed, because this is a certain guarantee for those who return and a certain guarantee for the preservation of historical and cultural heritage,” the Russian MP said.

He noted that the Armenians of Artsakh do not want to return because they will need to obtain an Azerbaijani passport to live there. According to the Russian MP, the Artsakh people are concerned that after obtaining Azerbaijani citizenship, they will have to fight against the Armenian army in the future.

“With the exodus of the Armenian population from the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, neither historical and religious monuments nor property that residents were forced to abandon disappeared from this territory. There is some hope that some part of the Armenian population may return. But the conditions that Azerbaijan sets at the moment are unacceptable for many.

For example, the obligation to obtain Azerbaijani citizenship. Due to the difficult relations that exist today, the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh are concerned that an attempt to obtain Azerbaijani citizenship may lead to the fact that the male population will be drafted into the Azerbaijani army. Given the current conflict, including border incidents, Armenian soldiers would not like to shoot at each other,” Zatulin concluded.