Epress.am News from Armenia
"The likelihood of renewed war between Armenia and Azerbaijan is out of the question because the leaders of both countries pursue their [own] interests and won't allow it," said Union of Reconnaissance Veterans NGO Chair Suren Karapetyan in the Epress.am studio on Saturday [AM], commenting on the statement issued by the defense ministries of the Republic of Armenia and the unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh on an Azerbaijan “reconnaissance and sabotage group".
He suggested that today Armenian President Serzh Sargysan (pictured, right) and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (pictured, left) agree to "flirt" with the issue, but, in fact, there won't be any military action, since in the case of either victory or defeat, both presidents will lose power.
"In any case, if there are military clashes, those same armed people will have to come out against the current government. Because neither the Armenian nor the Azerbaijani people is able to resist," said the Karabakh War veteran, adding, "Let people calm down — there won't be any war."
According to Karapetyan, Azerbaijan's penetration into the territory of Armenia, presented as a "sabotage," shows that the military posts can be passed.
"If this happened in another country, the country's supreme commander would immediately order the dismissal of high-ranking leaders. Such actions are not unique — they have occurred regularly for several years. Why aren't Ministry of Defense employees, officials, and those responsible removed from office? They are one team with today's leadership, the oligarchy, which is firmly seated in its place.
"Look, a criminal entered; see how much territory [in Armenia] he entered. Will those military posts’ commanders or the regional governor, the so-called general, be fired tomorrow? The Ministry of Defense — this stagnant organization — with its high-ranking officers, who are busy not with their work, but each one owns a forest, a farm, a fishery… they work in the animal husbandry industry; they are busy with their [own] business; that's why such things will always occur," he said.
Entire conversation can be viewed here (in Armenian only).