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I SAW PEOPLE IN KARABAKH LAUGH AT SUCH THOUGHTS
Siranuysh Papyan, Interviewer
Interview - Friday, 28 March 2014, 16:38
Interview with the national hero of Artsakh, Major General Arkady
Ter-Tadevosyan (Commandos)
Mr. Ter-Tadevosyan, in a recent interview Lieutenant General Norat
Ter-Grigoryan said Karabakh belonged to the Russian empire under the
treaty of Gyulistan of 1813 so why shouldn't NKR be part of Russia.
What is your opinion on this?
I returned from Karabakh two days ago. I spent there about a week,
talked to different people, the statement of Zhirinovsky was being
discussed that the best decision on NK would be its annexation by
Russia. There is international law, a country declares independent.
Now Karabakh is an independent state and may join Armenia or
Russia. I wonder how it occurs to Armenians that the Armenian state
which shares a border with Armenia, is one nation and people, would
suddenly unite with Russia, not Armenia. I think something like this
would be betrayal on behalf of Karabakh. And when I was in Karabakh,
I was trying to understand their opinion on Zhirinovsky's words. And
I saw people laugh at his thought, they want to continue to build
an independent state. They even prefer independence to uniting with
Armenia, while uniting with Russia is altogether ruled out, they
treat this as something unserious.
Ordinary people of Karabakh say Russia has always had its interests,
and it may make a decision at some point that will harm Karabakh. For
example, they may sign something like the Treaty of Kars of the early
20th century and have Karabakh annexed by another state. There is no
confidence in either Zhirinovsky or Russia.
Now the Russians announce that that Khrushchev made the wrong decision
when he gave Crimea to Ukraine. Why aren't they saying that Stalin
and Lenin made a mistake by giving away Armenian territories to others?
They silence this.
A few months ago Zori Balayan wrote his letter where he mentioned
the Treaty of Gulistan and highlighted that the Caucasus is Russian
territories. Do you think that Zori Balayan's letter was accidental
or was it part of the plan?
Zori Balayan's article does not state that under the Treaty of Gulistan
Karabakh should be handed to Russia. It is a fact, however, that the
treaty is effective and has not been repealed by anyone. This treaty
was signed between Russia and Persia and Azerbaijan has no role in
it. This treaty states that the mentioned territories pass to Tsarist
Russia and Persia recognizes its defeat. I think that Zory Balayan
would not wish Karabakh to be handed to Azerbaijan.
Many say the issue of Crimea should not be compared to the issue of
Karabakh as those are different issues.
Crimea is a different story. Russians lived and continue to live in
Crimea, the Russian troops have been deployed there. In Crimea nobody
has constrained, destroyed the Russians. They say the Banderovtsi
could have put duress on the Russians of Crime. Yes they could
but there was never such duress as that the Armenians underwent in
Karabakh. Karabakh picked up guns to defend its independence whereas
in Crimea people cheered Russian citizenship. These are two different
situations. Karabakh had heavy human losses, economic losses, people
fought for independence giving 6000 victims, whereas Crimea united
with Russia at the speed of sound. Such speed and hastiness may not
comply with international standards, I don't know that, and this
hastiness may have sent Europe berserk. I think it is the problem
of Russia and Ukraine, and we the Armenians need not mix up with
that matter. Instead, it gives us the right to remind once again
that if they admit the mistakes of the Soviet system, why don't they
admit that they have given away Karabakh which is considered Russian
territory under the Treaty of Gulistan and where Armenians live to
Azerbaijan? It is also one of the mistakes of the Soviet era.
What is your vision of the settlement of the Karabakh issue?
Different organizations in and outside Armenia deal with forecasts. In
the United States, for example, the CIA has allocated 52 million
dollars for forecasts. They forecast future until 2025 on different
countries. This is a serious organization, and they make forecasts on
Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan. Their forecast on Ukraine appeared back
in 2005 which stated that Ukraine would collapse. Several criteria are
taken into account while making forecasts. One of those criteria in the
case of Ukraine (as well as Azerbaijan and Georgia) was hostilities
among peoples. This is not the case in Armenia. There is controversy
among parties which is normal but hostility is when people are ready
to pick up guns and shoot at one another. They forecast the same for
Georgia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine.
In Ukraine the Americans wanted NATO to extend to Ukraine but it
failed, and they used the situation that occurred in Ukraine. There
both the Americans and Russians provide funding and support but the
main role has been assigned to the internal forces.
In your opinion, how will the victory on Maidan affect Armenia?
Trade with Ukraine is not so large in scale. On the one hand, we have
an Armenian community in Crimea and in entire Ukraine, and the victory
of Maidan will influence their lives. Our relations with Ukraine are,
frankly speaking, weak. They have closer relations with Azerbaijan to
which they sell weapon for half a billion dollars a year. So we will
hardly be affected by spoiling relations with Ukraine. We mainly export
brandy and tobacco to Ukraine which may be affected but I think we will
find other markets for our products. Meanwhile, the Armenian community
of Ukraine will be certainly affected by the situation in that country.
- See more at:
http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/interview/view/32189#sthash.kaCF9PQL.dpuf
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Siranuysh Papyan, Interviewer
Interview - Friday, 28 March 2014, 16:38
Interview with the national hero of Artsakh, Major General Arkady
Ter-Tadevosyan (Commandos)
Mr. Ter-Tadevosyan, in a recent interview Lieutenant General Norat
Ter-Grigoryan said Karabakh belonged to the Russian empire under the
treaty of Gyulistan of 1813 so why shouldn't NKR be part of Russia.
What is your opinion on this?
I returned from Karabakh two days ago. I spent there about a week,
talked to different people, the statement of Zhirinovsky was being
discussed that the best decision on NK would be its annexation by
Russia. There is international law, a country declares independent.
Now Karabakh is an independent state and may join Armenia or
Russia. I wonder how it occurs to Armenians that the Armenian state
which shares a border with Armenia, is one nation and people, would
suddenly unite with Russia, not Armenia. I think something like this
would be betrayal on behalf of Karabakh. And when I was in Karabakh,
I was trying to understand their opinion on Zhirinovsky's words. And
I saw people laugh at his thought, they want to continue to build
an independent state. They even prefer independence to uniting with
Armenia, while uniting with Russia is altogether ruled out, they
treat this as something unserious.
Ordinary people of Karabakh say Russia has always had its interests,
and it may make a decision at some point that will harm Karabakh. For
example, they may sign something like the Treaty of Kars of the early
20th century and have Karabakh annexed by another state. There is no
confidence in either Zhirinovsky or Russia.
Now the Russians announce that that Khrushchev made the wrong decision
when he gave Crimea to Ukraine. Why aren't they saying that Stalin
and Lenin made a mistake by giving away Armenian territories to others?
They silence this.
A few months ago Zori Balayan wrote his letter where he mentioned
the Treaty of Gulistan and highlighted that the Caucasus is Russian
territories. Do you think that Zori Balayan's letter was accidental
or was it part of the plan?
Zori Balayan's article does not state that under the Treaty of Gulistan
Karabakh should be handed to Russia. It is a fact, however, that the
treaty is effective and has not been repealed by anyone. This treaty
was signed between Russia and Persia and Azerbaijan has no role in
it. This treaty states that the mentioned territories pass to Tsarist
Russia and Persia recognizes its defeat. I think that Zory Balayan
would not wish Karabakh to be handed to Azerbaijan.
Many say the issue of Crimea should not be compared to the issue of
Karabakh as those are different issues.
Crimea is a different story. Russians lived and continue to live in
Crimea, the Russian troops have been deployed there. In Crimea nobody
has constrained, destroyed the Russians. They say the Banderovtsi
could have put duress on the Russians of Crime. Yes they could
but there was never such duress as that the Armenians underwent in
Karabakh. Karabakh picked up guns to defend its independence whereas
in Crimea people cheered Russian citizenship. These are two different
situations. Karabakh had heavy human losses, economic losses, people
fought for independence giving 6000 victims, whereas Crimea united
with Russia at the speed of sound. Such speed and hastiness may not
comply with international standards, I don't know that, and this
hastiness may have sent Europe berserk. I think it is the problem
of Russia and Ukraine, and we the Armenians need not mix up with
that matter. Instead, it gives us the right to remind once again
that if they admit the mistakes of the Soviet system, why don't they
admit that they have given away Karabakh which is considered Russian
territory under the Treaty of Gulistan and where Armenians live to
Azerbaijan? It is also one of the mistakes of the Soviet era.
What is your vision of the settlement of the Karabakh issue?
Different organizations in and outside Armenia deal with forecasts. In
the United States, for example, the CIA has allocated 52 million
dollars for forecasts. They forecast future until 2025 on different
countries. This is a serious organization, and they make forecasts on
Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan. Their forecast on Ukraine appeared back
in 2005 which stated that Ukraine would collapse. Several criteria are
taken into account while making forecasts. One of those criteria in the
case of Ukraine (as well as Azerbaijan and Georgia) was hostilities
among peoples. This is not the case in Armenia. There is controversy
among parties which is normal but hostility is when people are ready
to pick up guns and shoot at one another. They forecast the same for
Georgia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine.
In Ukraine the Americans wanted NATO to extend to Ukraine but it
failed, and they used the situation that occurred in Ukraine. There
both the Americans and Russians provide funding and support but the
main role has been assigned to the internal forces.
In your opinion, how will the victory on Maidan affect Armenia?
Trade with Ukraine is not so large in scale. On the one hand, we have
an Armenian community in Crimea and in entire Ukraine, and the victory
of Maidan will influence their lives. Our relations with Ukraine are,
frankly speaking, weak. They have closer relations with Azerbaijan to
which they sell weapon for half a billion dollars a year. So we will
hardly be affected by spoiling relations with Ukraine. We mainly export
brandy and tobacco to Ukraine which may be affected but I think we will
find other markets for our products. Meanwhile, the Armenian community
of Ukraine will be certainly affected by the situation in that country.
- See more at:
http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/interview/view/32189#sthash.kaCF9PQL.dpuf
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress