Ruben Melkonyan: The hatred between Armenians and Azerbaijanis has not disappeared, they cannot live only 50 meters away from each other

The Armenian-Azerbaijani diplomatic battle is currently taking place, Turkologist Ruben Melkonyan told Alpha News.

“The Azerbaijani-Turkish victory campaign continues. Thanks to the Armenian authorities, the Azerbaijani public continues to experience new moments of joy on a weekly and monthly basis. Also, the statement by the official Armenian government that Azerbaijan receives 2.5 villages while Armenia receives a promise already shows the bankruptcy of our diplomacy. All our diplomats, all employees of the Armenian Foreign Ministry, who are directly or indirectly complicit, are responsible for all of this. Now the Armenian-Azerbaijani diplomatic battle is taking place, and the diplomats are being defeated in that battle with the participation of their diplomatic commander-in-chief,” Ruben Melkonyan said.

The Turkologist noticed that Azerbaijan continues to sow hatred towards Armenians in its society.

“The joy that Pashinyan is trying to convey—you should be happy that Azerbaijan is 50 meters away—is actually the threat of danger, because how can border demarcation reduce security risks if Azerbaijan continues to promote hatred towards Armenians through all systems: educational, state, rhetoric, etc.? Azerbaijan continues to raise a society that hates Armenia and Armenians. The Azerbaijani soldiers, who will stand 50 meters away, will be tempted to see those Armenians nearby; they have been taught that those Armenians are subject to extermination. The society and the state, where Armenian hatred is generated, cannot be presented as safe if there is border demarcation,” he said.

According to Melkonyan, the hatred between Armenians and Azerbaijanis has not disappeared, they cannot live only 50 meters away from each other.

“In the case of Turks and Greeks after the First World War, when the demarcation was still taking place, it was decided in Switzerland that Turks and Greeks should live apart from each other for a while because they were so full of hatred towards each other; they were incompatible nations. An exchange took place: Greeks living in Turkey moved to Greece, and Turks living in Greece moved to Turkey. Now, has that hatred between us ended? Have the wounds healed so that Armenians and Azerbaijanis can live peacefully at a distance of 50 meters and, according to Pashinyan, be happy about it?” Ruben Melkonyan concluded.