Ashot Bleyan and Armen Ashotyan didn’t have a good debate because they were too emotional and could not discuss issues the right way. The issue being discussed was very important for Armenia. Instead of insulting each other, they could have discussed issues better and stick to the truth.
Armen Ashotyan is to blame partly because he said that the best solution to the Karabagh conflict was to keep the “status-quo”. If its “status-quo” is kept for only a short while, it may be good for Armenia, but if it goes on longer, it will be very bad for us because Armenia spends all its money on keeping the army and is alienated from the regional processes. Ashot Bleyan is correct when he says that Armenia and Azerbaijan should establish peace and have normal relations.
How can they do that? This is the issue where, I think, Ashot Bleyan has a wrong approach. He said that it was just an “adventure” to occupy Zangelan. But, in spite of what he says, I know what the mentioned “adventure” really is. Stepanakert was bombed from Aghdam every day killing over 15 citizens. There were three ways out of that situation: 1. leave Stepanakert, 2. ask the Azerbaijani authorities not to bomb Stepanakert any more, and 3. attack Aghdam and occupy it. Did Armenia do the wrong thing by choosing the third option? Wars create their own rules and in that position the Armenian army decided to occupy Zangelan and shorten the 150 kilometers distance down to 30 kilometers. Were they wrong to do so? Besides that, if Armenia wants to make peace with Azerbaijan, how could it do that if it didn’t occupy those territories? What would Armenia have to put on the table of negotiations and discuss with Azerbaijan? Thanks to these “adventures”, we can now negotiate with Azerbaijan at the same level.
What Ashot Bleyan is trying to say is the following: we should understand that we are not able to win Azerbaijan, we should give Karabagh to Azerbaijan (citizens of Karabagh can take care of themselves and can work it out), we should only protect the interests of the Republic of Armenia, make peace with Azerbaijan and develop rapidly. Let’s leave the emotional side of the issue and try to discuss the issue pragmatically. Back in 1998, Azerbaijan announced that Karabagh, as well as Zangezur, belonged to Azerbaijan. The Zangezur issue was solved in 1993 after the “adventures” of Zangelan and Jebrail. What do you think? Will Azeri befriend us after we give them the territories of Karabagh or will they argue that Zangezur is their territory as well? I mean, what Ashot Bleyan says will not lead to peace and they should not call him a “traitor”, he just doesn’t think pragmatically. That’s all.
Bleyan said jokingly that people could punish him for his approach. He shouldn’t joke. People who have such an approach are punished in Azerbaijan. As for us, we think that Bleyan is doing a very good thing for Armenia. Anyway, people should really focus on the Karabagh conflict because it is very important for Armenia now.