The handover of 5 combat posts of the Armenian Armed Forces to the Azerbaijani side was the next step on the path to peace. We hope that the 3 occupied villages of Gazakh and the village of Kerki in Sadarak will also be returned to Azerbaijan's jurisdiction and this issue will be closed. The development of trade relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia can also be considered a contribution to peace and the permanence of security. According to official data, 26 thousand tons of cargo were transported from Russia to Armenia through Azerbaijani territory alone. The opening of the Armenian road “hanging in the air” at the Upper Lars checkpoint is of exceptional importance. The fact that wheat and fertilizer constitute the main part of the loads involves many implications on its own. On the other hand, Azerbaijan continues to sell fuel to Armenia. This step is of extraordinary importance for the Armenian leadership. Nikol Pashinyan, who has managed to considerably ease his pre-election tasks at Azerbaijan's expense of gasoline, should “turn off the lights and play in the dark” at night.
Let us again refer to the official statistics: so far, a total of 6312 tons of diesel fuel, 979 tons of AI-92 gasoline, and 2955 tons of AI-95 gasoline have been supplied from Azerbaijan to Armenia; transit through Azerbaijan has delivered 23.9 thousand tons of grain, more than 1100 tons of fertilizer, and 68 tons of buckwheat from Russia to Armenia. The Armenian government admits that Azerbaijani gasoline has broken the monopoly of Armenian monopolists, prices have fallen, and the quality remains intact.
Given this, what is expected of official Yerevan and Armenia in general? Applause alone will not suffice; there are tasks to be done. However, observations show that the Armenian leadership sometimes “throws the topic” to the mouths of revanchists and “pours salt into their lamp.” Let us clarify what this is about...
The Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, Alen Simonyan, met with the Chairperson of the Azerbaijani National Assembly, Sahiba Gafarova, within the framework of the 152nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Forum held in Istanbul. After the meeting, he told REAL TV that the meeting went well, with no disagreements. He even stated that “there was mutual understanding, mutual relations, and plans for future cooperation.” He expressed hope that there would be no obstacles during the negotiations and none would arise afterward. These are good signs... Azerbaijan, as a country promoting peace initiatives, has never demonstrated positions that hinder negotiations, and Simonyan knows this well. But the Armenian speaker frequently shows different stances. We have not forgotten his speech at the Inter-Parliamentary Union session in Bahrain: after blasting the parliament with fire and blaming Azerbaijan, he left the hall to avoid hearing the arguments of the Chairperson of the National Assembly, which destroyed his claims.
After that, several meetings were held at the speaker level, and Simonyan began to appear constructive, naturally this is a logical result of the decisive policy of the Azerbaijani President and the lessons of the “Iron Fist” from the 44-day war and the one-day anti-terror operation. However, sometimes they make deviations. Just as Simonyan was happily speaking about his meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart, he made a serious mistake during the 152nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Forum, saying that “humanitarian issues must be resolved” to achieve lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Armenian speaker spoke about the “necessity of releasing 19 Armenian prisoners.”
Emphasizing Yerevan’s commitment to consolidating peace, developing dialogue, and turning it into practical results, Simonyan added that trade between Armenia and Azerbaijan has begun to improve for the first time in many years and the import of Azerbaijani goods to Armenia has become a symbolic and practical step in restoring economic relations. “At the same time, serious humanitarian issues still need to be resolved. To continue building trust and achieve genuine peace, 19 Armenians detained in Azerbaijan must be released and reunited with their families, and the fate of the missing must be clarified,” Simonyan stated.
The speaker also stated that Armenia is ready to develop partnership with Turkey and to shape a future that prioritizes stability, connection, and shared prosperity.
When Simonyan claims that those Armenians with a fair court verdict should be released and reunite with their families, one wonders if he has considered the crimes committed by separatists against Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis? Perhaps he is unaware?
Now, what do they want to say: Should we bid farewell to all criminals with flowers because peace will be achieved with Armenia? If such is the attitude towards criminality, then why has the Pashinyan government filled prisons with numerous opposition members? Just a few days ago, they put around twenty supporters of Samvel Karapetyan behind bars; do they not have families and children? Or how many Azerbaijanis have the separatists, against whom arrest warrants have been issued, killed, how many homes have they ruined, how many hearths extinguished? Did the families of those murdered and tortured not exist?
Why does Alen Simonyan not recall the fate of about 4,000 Azerbaijanis missing for more than 30 years when he says “the fate of the missing must be clarified”? Official Baku has repeatedly appealed to international organizations on the issue of its citizens captured, taken hostage, and missing, urging them to influence Armenia. When Simonyan talks about a few Armenian servicemen missing in combat, he should also mention the unknown fate of thousands of Azerbaijani civilian children, women, and elderly people if he is truly a peace supporter...
Another serious issue: Since 2020, over 400 civilians have been killed or seriously injured in the peace period. The Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan – Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration (PA), Hikmet Hajiyev, mentioned this in a post on social media “X” on the International Mine Awareness Day. Quote: “During the 30 years of occupation, about 12 percent of Azerbaijan’s territories were contaminated with more than 1.5 million mines by Armenia. Since 2020, over 400 civilians have been killed or seriously injured during the peace period. Mine contamination hinders reconstruction and rehabilitation work in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur regions, as well as the safe and dignified return of former internally displaced persons. These are not just numbers. They are stories of interrupted lives, broken families, and stolen futures. Mine clearance is not only a technical process. It is justice. It is human dignity. It is the right of people to safely return to their homes.”
Undoubtedly, the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament has read these remarks by the President’s assistant. Unfortunately, he has not internalized them and continues to say what he pleases, mistakenly...
The process is dictated by Azerbaijan; Armenia has not been given the right to speak, just comply with what is set before it and be grateful! The “peace-loving” elements of a country that do not even properly provide minefield maps must seriously consider what they say and where! Those like Simonyan should be cautious when “touching the yellow wire”! If a train goes to Armenia, it does not mean that Azerbaijan has forgotten the past: there are still territorial claims against our country, including against brother Turkey, in this country’s Constitution! Someone should have reminded Simonyan, who talks about peace in a country with territorial claims, to “come to his senses”...
Elshad Pashasoy