Alexey Anpilogov: Baku’s position is absolutely hypocritical and cannibalistic

Russian political expert Alexey Anpilogov commented to Alpha News on the fact that Azerbaijan is delaying the transfer of humanitarian cargo sent by the Russian International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to Artsakh.

“Azerbaijan is now playing a shameful double game. On the one hand, statements are almost at the level of presidential advisor Hikmet Hajiyev, who stated that an allegedly agreement had been reached on the simultaneous unblocking of the Lachin corridor and the Aghdam road, but at the same time accused Artsakh authorities of refusing to comply with this kind of agreement. It is the same as holding out a stick to a drowning person, but at the moment when he stretches out his hand for this stick, you immediately pull it back and say that he himself does not want to be saved.

We all understand perfectly well that the humanitarian crisis has been growing in Artsakh for months. And the position of official Baku – that the drowning person does not want to be saved – is absolutely hypocritical and cannibalistic,” Anpilogov said.

The expert notes that the goodwill of the Armenian side was not perceived by the Azerbaijani side as a step towards a constructive resolution to the situation.

“At the same time, it should be understood that the Russian cargo that was supposed to be sent along the Aghdam-Askeran road in the direction of Stepanakert is the cargo of the Russian Red Cross, i.e. an absolutely humanitarian cargo, designed to save the unbearable situation on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Moreover, the Armenian side agreed to have it transferred through Aghdam, a certain concession to the Azerbaijani side. But this concession was regarded as an act of weakness, rather than an act of goodwill.

And therefore, Baku now, verbally recognizing both the humanitarian crisis and the importance of unblocking communications, continues the blockade of Artsakh and considers the humanitarian crisis as a lever of pressure on Stepanakert and partly on Yerevan in order to close the issue of Armenian Artsakh for its benefit. That is, the complete subordination of the Armenian de facto autonomy to the interests of official Baku,” the expert noted.

According to Alexey Anpilogov, all actions of official Baku are nothing more than an attempt to influence Artsakh in order to stop the strive of the local population for independence.

“It is most likely that such a policy of extending and pulling a lifeline in order to keep the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh completely unresolved will continue, but on the other hand, it is possible that at some stage cargo will be allowed through again to prevent the presence of international observers, after which the corridors will again be blocked. And this will be the position of Baku, which believes that it will pacify any attempts to autonomize the Armenian population of Artsakh,” Anpilogov concluded.